Founder's Day: The Aftermath
by tamilnadu09
Summary: Set after the events of 1x22...just a little something to keep us entertained for four months while we wait for Vampire Diaries to come back with new episodes!
1. The Kiss

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters.

**Author's Note: **So this is my first fanfic in the world of Vampire Diaries. But last night's season finale was just so EPICALLY AWESOME that I had to write down what I thought was going to happen next. I know the first chapter is short, but it's just to set the mood and see what you guys think!

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Damon stood in the woods, just a short distance from Elena's house.

He was very confused.

He replayed the last few minutes in his head, and ran his fingers over his mouth. _That kiss…_

There was something strange about it.

The Elena he knew…no, she would never do that to Stefan. He had wanted to kiss her…but if he really thought about it, would she have kissed him back?

As much as he wanted to believe that she liked him as more than a friend –and he was pretty sure that she did- it came down to the fact that Elena was a good person. With morals. She would never turn her back on Stefan. Not so quickly.

And definitely not for Damon.

_It's late. You should probably come inside. _

Damon stiffened. Jenna had invited Elena in.

He thought back again, closing his eyes. Elena's lips on his…he had held her face, his fingers brushing her neck. He frowned…_her neck. There hadn't been a necklace…_

He looked back towards her house. Elena would have never taken off the vervain necklace that Stefan had given her. Especially not tonight, when the vampires had been running around.

And Elena, usually so put together…had looked slightly disheveled. As though she'd just come off a long journey. Her hair had been messy, her face pale…

Damon's hand clenched into a fist of its own accord.

Katherine.

Without a second thought, he super sped back to Elena's house, crashing down her door in the process.


	2. Katherine

"Elena?" he shouted.

"Oh my god, oh my god!"

"What is it?" another voice called from upstairs and Jenna came rushing down, looking worried. She paused when she saw Damon standing by the door. "What are you—"

"Somebody help!" Elena screamed.

Jenna looked startled and rushed into the kitchen, with Damon close behind her. They both stopped dead on the threshold.

Elena was kneeling over a body, her hands covered in blood. She looked up at Jenna's scream, her eyes wide.

Damon started toward her, noting the necklace hanging on her neck. Definitely Elena. "What happened?" he demanded.

"I heard—a crash—" she stuttered, shaking. "I just got home—"

"911!" Jenna muttered, fumbling with the phone. Damon glanced down at the dead body for the first time, and took a step back in shock. John Gilbert. Katherine had killed John? That didn't make any sense…

"Jenna, I'm afraid he's dead," Damon said mechanically, eyeing the blood and the knife sticking out of his chest.

"No! You're not a doctor!" she screamed, looking quite deranged. "You don't know that he's dead!"

Damon closed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on as Jenna dropped the phone in her haste. "Okay, well then, let me make the call," he said, grabbing the phone and forcing her to sit down.

"911. What's your emergency?" a smooth voice asked.

"Yes, we have a man stabbed in the chest with a knife…" Damon explained, and quickly gave the address. He glanced at Jenna before adding, "Hurry, he's in bad shape."

"Oh my god," Elena whispered, still on the ground.

Damon quickly knelt down and put his hands on her face. "Elena, can you hear me?" She nodded mutely, her hand shaking as she grasped the table to get up. "Okay, listen to me. You're going into shock. I'm gonna need you to get up, can you do that?"

"I—I just walked in—" Elena whispered.

Damon glanced at Jenna. "Maybe you should go get Jeremy," he suggested. "He should know what's happening."

Jenna nodded, not meeting Damon's gaze. "I'll go get him," she said quietly, getting up.

Damon waited till she had reached the stairs before pulling Elena up and setting her in a chair. "Elena, I know this is a huge shock, but you have to listen to me—"

"Damon, what are you doing here?" Elena suddenly asked.

_What are you doing here?_

_A failed and feeble attempt at doing the right thing…_

_Which was? _

_It's not important._

Damon shook his head to clear it. "It was Katherine."

"What?"

"Katherine is the one that killed your—" he hesitated, "the one that killed John."

"_Katherine?" _Elena repeated incredulously. "That's impossible, Katherine's not…"

"She's here," Damon met Elena's gaze squarely. "I just saw her."

"You _saw _her? What did she say?"

"She…" Damon took a deep breath, "I didn't know it was her. She pretended to be you."

Elena stood up suddenly and Damon slowly stood up as well. She crossed her arms, "Are you telling me that this bitch killed my biological father?"

Damon almost cracked a smile, remembering his last words to Isobel. _If Katherine wants something from me, you tell that little bitch to come get it herself! _Looks like she'd gotten the message. But what exactly did she want?

"Damon? You didn't answer my question."

"What question?"

"What did you and Katherine talk about—you know, when she was pretending to be me?"

Damon hesitated, eyeing her over. "Listen, Elena. There's something you should know—"

Two things then happened almost simultaneously.

Then there was a pounding at the door, "Mystic Falls Police! Open up!"

Damon had just stepped towards the door when there was a scream from upstairs. Elena started up the stairs, "Aunt Jenna! Are you okay?"

Jenna appeared at the top of the stairs, holding something in her hand. "Jeremy! He's—he's dead!"

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***reviews please :)**


	3. Anna

Damon hadn't realized he'd used super speed to run upstairs, but he figured Jenna hadn't realized it either, since she'd been in utter shock. He paused next to her and glanced down at what she was clutching in her hand. He frowned and forced her to hand him the box of pills. _Elena Gilbert. _The container was open. As he stood there, trying to put two and two together, he heard Elena answer the door.

"He's right in there," she said quietly, pointing the way into the kitchen. "We don't know what happened."

"I'm going to have to ask you to stay out of the kitchen," one of the officers said, glancing up the stairs at Damon and Jenna. "And we're going to have to ask everyone in this house to meet me in the living room for questioning."

"He's dead!" Jenna shouted suddenly, and Damon jumped.

"We're doing everything we can," the cop said soothingly. "Now if you could just come downstairs—"

"No, Jeremy!"

Elena's head snapped up, meeting Damon's gaze. "Damon? What's going on?"

"Just one second," Damon said with a frown. He quickly walked into Jeremy's room to see Jeremy sleeping. He paused at the door, shaking his head. Clearly Jenna was losing her marbles. He was about to leave when he paused.

Something wasn't right. He cocked his head, trying to listen. It was silent in the room. Dead silent.

The kid wasn't breathing.

"Jeremy?" Damon shook him, but he didn't move. Damon glanced around, noticing that the bathroom was lit. He walked in cautiously and looked around, his gaze falling on a small vial.

Frowning, he picked it up and examined it. He could smell the blood that had used to be in it. But there was something strange…it didn't smell like human blood. He fingered it, and tasted a drop from the edge. Vampire blood.

Looked like Jeremy had consumed vampire blood and then tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pills.

This wasn't good.

Damon slipped the vial into his pocket before rushing downstairs.

"Damon, what's wrong? Is Jeremy okay?" Elena asked worriedly, still standing at the bottom of the stairs next to the cop.

Damon took her shoulders, "Elena, now, don't freak out okay? But it looks like Jeremy overdosed on some pills—"

"_What!" _She wrenched herself out of his grasp and ran upstairs.

Damon sighed and signaled to the EMTs who were standing around John's body and shaking their heads. "There's a boy upstairs who OD'd. He needs help."

"We're on it." A couple EMTs rushed upstairs while the cop stared at Damon.

"I'm going to have to ask you to—"

"Yeah, yeah, go to the living room for questioning. I heard you the first time," Damon said under his breath, as he took a seat opposite Jenna.

She looked at him with vaguely accusing eyes, before dropping her gaze back to the carpet. Damon leant back in his armchair, trying to think. Where on earth had Jeremy gotten a vial of vampire blood from? Certainly not from himself or Stefan. Who else? What, had Katherine decided to…no that didn't make sense.

Damon rubbed his face. Okay, Katherine had given Damon and Stefan her blood because she wanted them to become vampires if they ever died.

Because she loved them.

Just like someone had wanted to make sure Jeremy would be safe. Tonight. Because she loved him.

_Anna said that vampires don't have to feel pain, that they can turn it off…They shut off their humanity._

_It's very true._

_Is it easier that way? _

_Is what easier?_

_Life._

Damon stared at Elena as she entered the room, looking distraught.

Anna.


	4. Tyler

Damon leaned back in his chair, looking around the waiting room of the hospital. "Looks like half of Mystic Falls is here," he said under his breath to Stefan.

Stefan glanced around and said equally as quietly, "Yeah, the Council really did a number on the founding families." He tightened his arm around a huddled Elena, and Damon looked away.

His gaze fell on Alaric, who was sitting next to Jenna. Across from them were the sheriff and Matt, both waiting for news of Caroline.

"Matt, how's Tyler?" Elena asked, emerging from under Stefan's grip.

"Haven't you heard?" the sheriff asked in a hushed tone.

"What?" Elena sat up, looking confused.

The sheriff glanced briefly at Damon before answering, "His father—the mayor—was killed in the fire tonight."

"My god, that's terrible," Elena breathed. "Is Tyler okay?"

Matt shrugged, "He went home to be with his mother."

Elena nodded silently, putting her head in her hands. "Shh, it'll be okay," Stefan whispered.

At that moment, Jeremy's doctor came into the waiting room. Jenna, Alaric, Elena, Stefan, and Damon all stood up as he approached. "Doctor, is Jeremy going to be okay?" Elena asked breathlessly, clutching onto to Stefan's arm.

The doctor smiled at them briefly, and consulted the clipboard he was holding. "Jeremy is getting his stomach pumped right now. He's going to be just fine."

"Oh thank god," Jenna cried, collapsing into Alaric's arms. He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

Damon squeezed Elena's shoulder, and she smiled at him before turning to hug Stefan. Damon nodded to the sheriff and Matt before exiting the doors into the cool, night air. He had just taken a few steps when he heard his name being called. He turned to see Alaric jogging after him.

"What, did I forget to turn in my homework?"

Alaric crossed his arms, unamused, "What went down tonight?"

Damon crossed his own arms, mimicking Alaric. "Well, let's see. The Council decided to take matters in their own hands and kill all the tomb vampires using Jonathan Gilbert's device—which by the way, worked perfectly fine because a certain witchy little friend of ours failed to remove the spell—"

"I know that part," Alaric interrupted. "I'm talking about afterwards."

Damon narrowed his eyes before continuing, "Well, they set fire to the building and killed all the tomb vampires including Anna—who got a special stake in the heart, courtesy of John Gilbert. I was saved by Stefan, who was helped by Bonnie. Seems like she had a last minute change of heart…you up to speed yet, history teacher?"

Alaric enunciated each word, "What happened _afterwards?"_

Damon raised his eyebrows, "Alright, then. So I went to tell Jeremy that Anna was dead. He was perfectly fine when I left, but I'm guessing he decided being a vampire was the way to go and so he drank Anna's blood and tried to kill himself—which obviously failed because we found him in time."

"Anna's blood," Alaric repeated.

Damon took out the empty vial from his pocket and showed it to Alaric before putting it back. "She loved him," Damon said simply. "I understand why she did it."

"But—I thought he would have wanted to be with her. He already knew she was dead when he tried to turn himself into a vampire…" Alaric trailed off.

"He wanted to turn off the pain," Damon replied, meeting Alaric's gaze. "He didn't want to feel."

"Like you."

Damon hesitated, "Something like that."

"Right," Alaric said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Damon shook his head, "Ready to continue the lesson?"

"There's more?"

"As I was leaving the house, I ran into a certain bitch from my past…" he let the sentence hang, waiting to see if Alaric would understand.

"Wait—what? Katherine?"

"Yep. That would be the one."

"She's here? In town?" Alaric said incredulously.

"It would appear so."

"But—but what did she say to you?" he stuttered.

"Actually, she pretended to be Elena. Pesky little identical twin thing," Damon frowned.

Alaric stared at him in disbelief, "You mean to tell me that you can't tell them apart? I mean, not to be rude, but…aren't vampires supposed to be able to do that sort of thing?"

"I figured it out later," Damon said, annoyed. "But by that time, she'd already been invited into the Gilbert household."

"By who?"

"Jenna told her to come inside. That was enough of an invitation."

"So she went in and…"

"Killed John Gilbert. Don't ask me why. I've got no clue."

"You can't think of a single reason why she'd want John Gilbert dead?"

Damon cocked his head, "Why don't you give it a go? He's Elena's biological father. He was working with Isobel, a.k.a your ex-wife, a.k.a Elena's biological mother to get rid of the tomb vampires, which was apparently Katherine's wish from the beginning."

"So, wouldn't she be happy with him?"

"Oh, I doubt that," Damon replied. "Katherine is never happy with everyone. Yeah, she's quite crazy actually."

"Why am I not surprised."

"You know," Damon began, walking towards Alaric, "If you were really smart, you would have figured out something else by now."

"What's that?"

"The mayor."

"What about him?"

"He was taken by the Council and thrown into that burning building with the rest of us vampires, _yet _he is not a vampire himself. What do you make of that?"

Alaric stared at Damon, his face expressionless. "You saying he's something else? Something supernatural?"

"See, my theory is that John Gilbert's handy little device emits a frequency that hinders vampires, yeah, but also any sort of other non-human being. Which is why the mayor was affected."

Alaric narrowed his eyes, "You're thinking about something else."

Damon walked back and forth thoughtfully, "So what exactly happened to Caroline, anyway?"

"Car crash," Alaric replied slowly. "Tyler was driving."

Damon nodded, staring at Alaric. "Tyler."


	5. John Gilbert

**Author's Note: **wow, i dont think i've ever gotten so many alerts for a story before! thanks so much, and be sure to review so i know what you guys think so far :)

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Damon was pouring a glass of whiskey when he heard the front door open. "Any news from the hospital?" he asked without turning around.

"Jeremy is resting. They said he can come home soon, but he has to go see someone. For trying to kill himself."

Damon nodded and downed the glass, before pouring another one. "What about Caroline?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you actually started caring about these humans," Stefan answered.

Damon turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Don't mistake curiosity for caring, little brother."

Stefan leaned over the banister, contemplating. "Caroline hasn't woken up yet. Matt and the sheriff are still at the hospital."

"What about…everyone else?"

"Alaric took Jenna and Elena home to get some sleep. He's arranging the funeral for John Gilbert."

"There's one funeral I don't think I'll be going to," Damon said, turning to leave the room.

"He's Elena's father. He was trying to protect her. Surely you understand that."

Damon paused on the threshold, but didn't say anything.

"Alaric told me everything that you said to him tonight. What do you think Tyler and his dad are?"

"No idea. In fact, I was going to do a little bit of research right now. Come with?"

"Research?" Stefan said skeptically, following him into the library. "How are you going to find any information on Gilbert's device in here?"

"Oh, I'm not particularly interested in the device," Damon muttered, scouring the shelves. "I'm more interested in learning about the ear."

"The ear," Stefan repeated. "The human ear?"

"Nope. More like supernatural hearing. Frequency. That kind of stuff."

Stefan nodded, and began looking through the shelves. "You know who else might have information?"

"Two steps ahead of you. Too bad I don't trust her."

"She helped me save your life."

"After she deliberately put us all in danger," Damon pointed out.

"She was protecting what she believed in. She did what she thought was right."

"Well aren't you Mr. Understanding today."

"Don't tell me that you don't see where she's coming from. You would do anything to protect the people you…cared about."

Damon smirked, "Oh, you mean Elena? Yes, I would do anything for her.._._"

"Don't joke," Stefan said shortly.

Damon's smile faded and he returned to the book he was reading. "Joking aside, I want to thank you for what you did for me tonight."

"You're my brother. I couldn't let you die like that. Besides, you and Elena did the same for me when I was captured by the tomb vampires."

Damon looked up, "So you're saying you owed me one?"

"That's what we do, Damon. It's a give and take relationship."

Damon shook his head, choosing not to comment. "The only way Bonnie will help us is if—"

"Elena asks her to," Stefan finished. "And frankly, I don't want to bother her with this right now."

"So we're on our own."

"You know, I'm surprised you're here. Researching."

"What's so surprising about that?"

There was silence, and Damon looked up to see Stefan staring at him. "What?"

"You've spent the last 200 years looking for Katherine and now she pretty much shows up on your doorstep…and you're here looking at books on hearing. Anything seem strange to you in this scenario?"

"She didn't show up on _my _doorstep," Damon corrected. "She showed up on Elena's. And she did what she wanted to do."

"And aren't you curious as to _why _her agenda included killing John Gilbert?"

"Curious, yes. Do I care? No."

"So you have no interest in finding Katherine?"

"She knows I'm here," Damon snapped. "If she wants to find me, she can."

At that moment, Stefan's phone rang. He glanced at it. "It's Elena," he said to Damon before answering. "Elena? You're supposed to be sleeping. Did something happen?"

Damon cocked his head, listening to her side of the conversation.

"_No, I'm fine. It's just that…I don't feel safe knowing that Katherine can come inside my home whenever she wants."_

"Do you want me to come over there?"

"_No, just…do you guys know where she is? What she wants?"_

"We're, ah, working on it right now," Stefan replied, glancing at Damon.

"_Oh, by the way, Matt just called. He said Caroline woke up."_

"Really? That's great news. Is she going to be okay?"

"_Yeah, I think so. Is Damon okay?"_

Damon buried himself into the book he was reading, briefly looking up to see Stefan glance at him. "Yeah, he's fine. Why?"

"_Well, he did leave the hospital awfully fast. I was worried he was going to find Katherine or something." _

"Uh, no actually. He's right here with me. Says he has no interest in finding Katherine at the moment."

"_Well, that's good I guess…hey, do you mind if I talk to him for a second?" _

Damon looked up involuntarily, noting the expression on Stefan's face. "Yeah, sure." He passed the phone to Damon, without saying anything.

"Why, hello, Elena," Damon smirked in Stefan's direction. "What can I do for you?"

"I just…wanted to thank you. For tonight."

_Somewhere along the way you decided I was worth saving. And I wanted to thank you for that._

_You're welcome. _

Were the events of tonight going to haunt him forever?

"Damon?"

"What? Oh, yeah no problem. I feel like this whole thing is my fault anyway."

"How is it your fault?"

"I told Jeremy that Anna was dead. Clearly I shouldn't have."

"It's not your fault. I should have realized he was hurting. He's my brother, and I was too wrapped up in my own problems to realize—" she broke off, falling silent.

"Okay, it's no one's fault," Damon said sharply. "Especially not yours. Listen, Jeremy will be okay. You heard what the doctor said."

"Yeah, I know. Just make sure you guys figure out what Katherine is up to, okay?"

"Don't worry about that. We have it covered."

He hung up and then looked at Stefan, who smiled pleasantly. "I'm assuming that we're going to look for Katherine now?"

"Why would you assume that?"

"Because Elena asked us to."

"Well, aren't you whipped."

"I could say the same for you, Damon."

"Don't speak to your elders that way—"

They both fell silent as the doorbell rang.


	6. Mayor Lockwood

"So you're sure the vampire blood will be gone from his system?" Elena asked, looking around to make sure they weren't being overheard.

Stefan placed his hand over hers comfortingly, "Yes. His stomach was pumped, so all traces of Anna's blood will have been gone by now."

Elena sighed, rubbing Stefan's ring absentmindedly. "I still can't believe he tried to kill himself. I mean, what kind of big sister am I that I couldn't see his suffering?"

"It's no one's fault," Stefan echoed Damon's words from the previous night. "No one could have predicted it. The important thing is that Jeremy is getting the help he needs."

"He's been through so much," Elena said quietly. "First our parents died, then Vicki, then Anna, and now even Uncle John…"

"You've been through a lot, too."

"But I feel like I'm supposed to be there for him. And I let him down."

"You didn't let him down, Elena. He knows how much you love him."

"Does he? He was so angry…"

Stefan smiled and quickly kissed her on the cheek. "How about we both go and visit him in the hospital after school? Sound like a good idea?"

Elena nodded and picked up her books, "Yeah, that would be great. You ready to head to class?"

Stefan glanced sideways, and shook his head. "You go ahead, I'll catch up in a minute."

"Okay," Elena said, blowing him a kiss. Stefan waited until she had disappeared into the school before hopping over to the next table.

"That was quite a surprise visit last night," he said quietly.

Bonnie looked at him carefully, "Did you tell Elena?"

"Not yet. I want to make sure that we have something concrete to tell her first."

Bonnie nodded, "I was looking through the spellbook after I got home, but I couldn't find anything. Did you guys find anything in Gram's old books?"

"Not last night, but Damon is looking through them right now. He said he'll call if he finds anything."

"Okay, well I'll let you know if I find anything too," Bonnie replied, beginning to get up.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"Damon and I—we really appreciate you helping us."

"Just remember what I said. If Damon spills even a drop of innocent blood…"

"I know. I already told him your conditions. He agreed."

"Good—hey, look!" Bonnie gestured, and Stefan turned to see Matt and Tyler walking towards them.

"Hey, how's Caroline?" Bonnie called to Matt as they approached.

Matt smiled tightly, "She's going to be okay. She's still at the hospital. Her mom said we can go see her after school today. You guys in?"

Stefan shrugged, "Yeah, we were gonna go see Jeremy anyway."

"Oh yeah, how's the kid doing?" Tyler asked hoarsely.

Stefan hesitated, looking Tyler over. "He should be fine. They pumped his stomach out last night, so he's just recovering."

"Crazy shit, huh?"

Stefan nodded, "Yeah, pretty crazy."

"Um, sorry about your father," Bonnie said quietly, looking at Tyler.

Tyler nodded, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Thanks. The funeral is tomorrow night."

"We'll be there," Bonnie said immediately, and Stefan nodded in agreement.

"Do you know when John's funeral is?" Matt asked.

"Alaric is taking care of it. He was pretty close to Jenna," Stefan explained.

"I still can't believe that," Tyler said, shaking his head. "Do they know who stabbed him?"

Stefan shook his head, "No, none of the neighbors saw anything suspicious all night. The cops are still questioning people though."

"Crazy shit," Tyler repeated.

"Yeah, speaking of that," Stefan said, glancing at Bonnie. "What happened last night with your car?"

Tyler shook his head, getting up. "Man, I don't even know what happened. I heard this horrible noise, and then I just…lost control."

Stefan nodded slowly, "Weird."

"I know. Well I'll see you guys at the hospital after school."

"See you."

Stefan and Bonnie watched Matt and Tyler walk away before Stefan turned to Bonnie, "So, he did hear the frequency from the invention."

Bonnie nodded, "Guess Damon was right."

"He usually is."

"Why thank you, little bro."

Bonnie gasped as Damon appeared in front of them. Stefan shook his head, "What are you doing? You're supposed to be researching,"

"I am," Damon said with a smile. "I was researching Tyler. I overheard what he said to you about hearing a noise."

"You mean you were eavesdropping," Bonnie said flatly.

Damon raised his eyebrows, "No need to be so snarky before 9 AM. I haven't even had my morning coffee…and by coffee, I mean—"

"She knows what you mean," Stefan interrupted. "The important thing is that we know that Tyler inherited his father's genes for…whatever they are."

"So there's a funeral, huh?"

"He was the mayor. Of course there's a funeral."

"And you guys think there's actually a dead body in the coffin?"

"What?" Bonnie demanded.

Stefan shook his head, "What are you talking about Damon?"

Damon shrugged, looking casually around. "I'm just saying, he's not a vampire. How do we know that fire kills all supernatural creatures?"

"I thought you said you saw him die," Stefan said, frowning.

"Well I did. That doesn't mean he's actually dead."

"Okay, we need to find out what he is," Bonnie interrupted. "Then we'll know for sure."

"Bonnie's right. Maybe you should go back home and continue with the research," Stefan said pointedly.

Damon grinned, "I can take a hint. No worries, I'm not planning on hanging around your little high school all day." He turned to go and then paused, "Oh, be sure to tell Elena I said hi."

"Tell her yourself," Bonnie said, "She's right over there."

Stefan and Damon turned in the direction Bonnie was pointing. Damon stiffened, "That's not Elena."


	7. Bloodlines

"We have to talk."

Elena jumped, startled, as each Salvatore brother appeared on either side of her. "Damon? What are you doing here?" Damon didn't answer, but merely placed a hand on her arm and guided her towards his car. She turned to see Stefan, "And how come you weren't in any classes today? I called you like ten times—"

"We have a problem," Stefan interrupted, opening the door to Damon's car and ushering Elena in the backseat before climbing in himself.

"What problem?" Elena demanded as Damon drove out of the parking lot. "Where are we going?"

"To the hospital to see Jeremy, like we discussed," Stefan answered shortly, glancing out of the windows. "Drive faster, Damon."

"I'm already pushing the speed limit here," Damon pointed out, but pressed on gas pedal anyway. He hid a smile when Elena gasped and clutched onto the bottom of her seat.

"Is anybody going to tell me what's going on?"

"As your _friend, _Elena, I will be more than happy to tell you what's going on." Damon heard Stefan's audible groan, but ignored him. "For lack of a better term, the bitch is back."

'The bitch? Katherine? You found her?"

"More like she found us," Stefan muttered.

"Oh yeah, she's got you all scoped out," Damon said, glancing at Elena through the rearview mirror.

"What are you guys talking about?" Elena said as Damon pulled into the hospital parking lot. "She's been watching me?"

Damon super sped out of the car to open the door for Elena, flashing a grin in Stefan's direction. Elena rolled her eyes, but got out and crossed her arms, clearly waiting for an answer.

Stefan glanced at Damon before answering, "We saw her outside the school today. She's clearly been watching -and listening- to everything that's been going on."

"We tried to find her afterwards, but she disappeared."

Elena frowned, "Well, what does she want?"

"The important thing isn't what she wants," Damon interrupted, "But what she knows."

"She knows who you care about Elena," Stefan said seriously. "She's seen who your friends are. No doubt Isobel has filled her in on the rest."

"Are you saying my family is in danger?" Elena said, and Damon picked up on the quickening of her pulse even though he was standing some distance away.

"Not just your family," Stefan said, leading the way into the hospital. "But your friends, too."

"Oh my god, this is all my—"

"It's no one's fault," Damon said immediately. "Look, me and Stefan will be safe. So will Bonnie and Alaric. So that just leaves…"

"Caroline, Matt, Aunt Jenna, and—"

"Jeremy," Stefan interrupted. "Me and Damon agree that he's the one that she'll target."

"Jeremy is the one you clearly care about the most," Damon explained, seeing the look of confusion on Elena's face. "Bonnie will be safe because she's a witch, and Alaric has a ring."

"Uncle John had a ring," Elena pointed out.

"Well, Katherine cut his hand off. That couldn't be helped."

"Speaking of John's ring," Stefan began, glancing at Damon, "We were thinking that it would be a good idea if you gave the ring to Jeremy."

Elena frowned, "I don't have the ring."

Damon turned to look at her in surprise, "What do you mean you don't have it? Where is it?"

"I—I don't know. It wasn't in the kitchen. The police said they never found the rest of his hand."

Stefan and Damon exchanged a glance. "She took it with her," Stefan muttered. "I wonder for who?"

"I can't think of anyone human that she'd want to give it to," Damon mused.

"Hey look, there's Caroline," Elena said suddenly, and Damon looked up to see Matt and the sheriff leading Caroline down the hallway. Elena ran up to her and gave her a hug, "Are you okay?"

Caroline smiled, "Yeah, the doctor said I'll be fine. I just have to go home and get a lot of rest."

"Thank god the surgery went okay," Elena said, the relief clear on her face. "Last night was crazy…Tyler was really sorry for what happened."

"Yeah, it wasn't his fault," Caroline said, looking around. Her gaze landed on Damon and a flash of confusion appeared on her face before she turned back to Elena. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get my brother. He…tried to kill himself."

"Oh my god, is he okay?"

"He'll be fine. He's just…in pain."

"Where is Tyler?" Damon asked, noting that he wasn't there.

"Funeral arrangements for his dad," Matt replied. "You'll all be there tomorrow night, right?"

"Of course we will," Elena replied. "Oh, and Alaric said he's arranged for Uncle John's funeral to be held right after the mayor's. Seeing as how the whole town will already be there."

Matt nodded, "See you guys tomorrow then."

They watched the threesome go before Elena shook herself off. "I'll go get Jeremy."

"You do that," Damon replied, not listening.

"What's up?" Stefan asked as Elena walked away.

"Did you see that look Caroline gave me?"

"I know this is a foreign concept to you, Damon, but the entire world does not revolve around you," Stefan answered, clapping Damon on the shoulder and beginning to walk away.

"No," Damon interrupted, "I mean, the look of confusion…like she recognized me."

"Why wouldn't she recognize you? She had internal bleeding, not a concussion."

"Didn't she hit her head when she passed out?"

"Maybe," Stefan frowned. "But no one said anything about short term memory loss. What are you on about?"

"I'm just wondering if it's wearing off," Damon said, glancing at Stefan to see if he understood.

Stefan's eyes narrowed, "You mean the Compulsion you used on her?"

"Yeah—" Damon paused as Stefan's phone beeped. Stefan glanced down at it, and tossed it to Damon with a startled expression.

"What is it?" Damon looked at the text message.

FROM: BONNIE

**found matches in book. frequency can be heard by wolves. **

"Wolves," Damon repeated, looking up.

Stefan's expression was stony, "Werewolves."


	8. Werewolf

"Wonder what it's like to have a normal life," Damon said, as he tossed down books about werewolves to the table.

Stefan looked up from the pile already gathered with a bemused expression, "Damon, we're vampires. I think we gave up on normal a long time ago."

"Hey, I haven't given up on normal," Damon protested.

"You turned off your feelings. I don't think you can get more inhuman than that," Stefan returned.

Damon grinned, "Ouch, that hurt."

Stefan shook his head with a smile, but didn't say anything. Damon hopped down from the ladder and took a seat across from Stefan. "Find anything interesting?"

"Just the usual…full moon, transformation—"

"Tell me something I don't know," Damon yawned.

"There's always the _Twilight _way of looking at things."

Damon froze, "Please tell me you didn't read _Twilight, _Stefan. I mean, as a vampire, I would sincerely hope—"

Stefan laughed, "Calm down, I'm just saying, it's one way to think about it."

"You mean, on account of the fact that Tyler hasn't shown any werewolf tendencies before?"

"Define tendencies," Stefan said thoughtfully. "He gets into fights a lot, and we know his dad hates vampires."

"That can hardly be qualified as the criteria for being a werewolf," Damon said lazily. "A lot of people in this town hate vampires. The whole council for one."

"Have you talked to the sheriff?"

"No, do you want me to?"

"You might want to find out where her head is at," Stefan suggested. "Figure out the council's next move."

"I'll try. I don't know if the council still trusts me, though," Damon said thoughtfully.

"There's no way they could know you're a vampire. I mean, the only people who knew for sure are dead now."

"John Gilbert is dead, yes. But, Mayor Lockwood on the other hand…" Damon trailed off. "He could pose a problem."

Stefan shut the books he was looking at with a snap and glanced at his watch, "Well in either case, the funeral starts in an hour. We better get ready. Alaric is driving all of us—what are you doing?"

Damon grabbed some books and headed towards the sofa. He glanced back at Stefan, "I told you I wasn't going to this funeral."

"He's the mayor—"

"And he tried to kill me. As did John Gilbert."

Stefan shook his head and headed up the stairs, "I'm gonna shower and get dressed. Let me know if you change your mind."

"Will do," Damon replied, stretching out on the sofa and flipping open a book. He skimmed the page, the word _silver _jumping out at him at several instances. If that was the case, then the mayor was definitely not dead. _I wonder how they're going to pull off an empty coffin…and who's going to be the new mayor…_Suddenly distracted, he paused.

He felt her, rather than heard her when she walked in. "Getting good at sneaking around, aren't you?" he said, without turning around.

"I wasn't sneaking around," Elena said, sounding offended. "I was just looking for Stefan. Where is he?"

"Ah, dear brother is upstairs getting ready for the funeral. I'm sure you can head on up if you want."

She sat down in an armchair across from him.

"Or sit here, whichever you prefer," Damon said, raising his eyebrows at her before turning back to his book.

"What are you reading?"

"Oh, nothing of importance," he said, shifting deliberately so that the front cover was hidden from her view.

"How come you're not getting ready?" Elena asked suddenly.

"I'm not going."

"What?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, I just thought—never mind," Elena stood up. "Tell Stefan that we're all waiting in the car outside, okay?"

"And where do you think you're going?" Damon asked, and she paused at the threshold.

"The car, Damon. Since I'm obviously disturbing your…reading."

Damon sighed and put down the book, turning to face her. "Fine, you have my full undivided attention, Elena. What can I do for you?"

Elena hesitated before sitting back down. She took a deep breath, "It's about Jeremy."

"What did the kid do now?"

"Nothing…that's it. He's not even coming to the funeral. He just sits in his room, doesn't talk to anybody…I don't know what to do—"

"Shh, Elena, it's not your fault," Damon cut her off, as her voice became increasingly hysterical. "Look, do you want me to talk to him?"

"Could you?" Elena asked, leaning towards him desperately. "It would mean a lot to me."

Damon felt something stir inside him and he quickly got up, on the pretense of straightening out some books. He didn't meet her gaze, "Yeah, no problem. In fact, I can go over there while you're at the funeral, if you want."

"Yeah…that would be great," Elena said slowly, sounding confused.

At that moment, Stefan came down the stairs, dressed in a suit. "You change your mind yet?" he asked Damon, holding out his arm to Elena.

"You know, I thought about it…but no."

"Suit yourself," Stefan shrugged. "I'll see you later."

Elena paused at the door and Damon looked back at her. "I'd really appreciate it if you came, Damon," she said quietly.

Damon didn't answer, and when he looked back, she was gone.

* * *

***p.s. sorry for the bit about twilight. i have nothing against the series, but it sounded like something they would say ;)**


	9. Secrets

"What are you doing?"

Jeremy jumped, and turned to see Damon standing at his doorway. "Man, you have _got _to stop doing that."

"Bad habit," Damon said, crossing his arms and nodding towards the computer. "You didn't answer my question."

"Just…surfing the net."

"Oh yeah? Looking up new ways to acquire vampire blood?"

"No! What's your problem, anyway?"

"Me? I don't have a problem," Damon answered, strolling in. He paused behind Jeremy's computer, "Does that sound good to you, _Jer_? Having no problems?"

Jeremy didn't answer him, his expression stony. "You know," Damon continued, "If I had known that you had a secret stash of Anna's blood that night, I never would have answered your questions—"

"That's why I didn't tell you," Jeremy interrupted. "I knew you wouldn't understand!"

"_I wouldn't understand?" _Damon repeated incredulously. He leaned forward, "Don't speak about things that _you _don't understand."

"I hate…this feeling. I hate _feeling!" _Jeremy shouted suddenly.

"Hate to break it to you, but that's life!" Damon retorted. "You can't escape it—"

"You can if you're a vampire."

"You have no idea what being a vampire is," Damon said coldly. He took a deep breath, "Look, I understand what you're going through. When I was in love with a woman, long ago, I would have willingly made the choice to turn just to be with her. But then I thought she died…and I just wanted to die, too."

"But you didn't. You became a vampire."

"Not by choice," Damon said, turning away. "I didn't choose this life for myself, and I wouldn't choose it for you."

…….

"I hope Damon wasn't bothering you," Stefan said, absentmindedly rubbing Elena's shoulder.

She gave him a quick smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "No, he behaved himself…"

Stefan frowned, "What's wrong? Did he say something to you?"

"No," she crossed her arms against the chill of the graveyard. "He was just acting…really strange."

"Stranger than usual, you mean?" Stefan asked with a smile.

"He was being really secretive," Elena mused, thinking back. "He wouldn't even tell me what he was reading."

"Oh," Stefan replied, looking away.

Elena looked at him suspiciously, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Stefan sighed, "Damon was just…trying to figure something out."

Elena stepped out from under his arm so she could face him. "Stefan, we agreed no more secrets," she said under her breath. "What's going on? Does this have to do with Katherine?"

"No," Stefan said quickly. "At least, I don't think so. We've just been looking into Mayor Lockwood's supposed death--"

"Supposed?" Elena demanded in a whisper. "Stefan, what are you talking about? We're here for his funeral!"

"I know, it's just that Damon and I think there's something a bit...off about this whole thing. Plus there's Tyler to consider..."

"What does Tyler have to do with this?"

Stefan looked around the cemetery warily, his gaze falling on the entirety of Mystic Falls. "Elena, there are too many people here, and you never know who may be listening."

Elena glanced around, her gaze resting on Tyler and his mother. Matt was standing directly behind them, his arm around Caroline, who was standing next to her mother. Bonnie stood near them, looking downcast.

"Man, these people need to lighten up," Damon's voice said from behind her.

Elena whirled around in surprise and raised her eyebrows at his suit, but didn't comment on it.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked, frowning. "Changed your mind?"

Damon eyed the sheriff before throwing Stefan a pointed look, "There are some things I have to take care of."

"I thought you were gonna go talk to Jeremy," Elena interrupted, not knowing what was going on between the Salvatore brothers.

"Oh I talked to him, alright," Damon replied, looking around. "Don't know if I got through to him, though." He flashed a smile at Elena, "Excuse me, my lady, but I do have to mingle." With that, he melted into the crowd.

"Where's he going?" Elena asked.

Stefan smiled weakly and shrugged, "Who knows."

Elena shook her head, "You're both keeping something from me. Call me when you decide to let me know."

"Hey," Stefan protested, grabbing her arm, "Where are you going?"

Elena wrenched her arm out of his grip, "I'm going to see how Caroline is doing. I'll see you later."

Stefan sighed and shook his head as Damon reappeared next to him. "Where is she storming off to?" Damon asked, smirking.

"Not a word, Damon."

Damon raised his hands in mock surrender, "Hey, I told you that she wouldn't like being kept in the dark about all this--"

"She needs to be protected," Stefan interrupted. "I'm doing what's best for her. Speaking of which, tell me again why you're here?"

"To speak to the sheriff, except I think she's avoiding me," Damon said, frowning. "She made an excuse as soon as I got close enough to talk to her."

"Oh yeah? That's the only reason you're here?"

"What other reason would there be?"

"Oh, so you _didn't_ come here because Elena asked you to?"

Damon shook his head with a smile, "This jealousy act is _really_ not a becoming quality, Stefan."

"It's not--" Stefan froze suddenly, stiffening.

"What is it?"

Stefan looked down, muttering quietly so only Damon could hear. "Behind us. There's someone standing in the woods. A woman."

"Katherine?"

"I can't tell. I don't want to turn around because then she'll know we've noticed her."

Damon glanced sideways, his gaze falling on an elderly couple. He nodded at Stefan and turned to face them. "Horrible tragedy, isn't it?" he said, holding out his hand to them. "Damon Salvatore."

"Oh, are you related to one of the original Salvatores?" the old woman asked interestedly.

"That I am," Damon said with a smile. "They were one of the founding families."

"So tragic what happened to the mayor and that Gilbert fellow," the old man said shakily. "Murder in this town! Who would've thought?"

Damon smiled, a touch of humor on his face. "It's quite shocking," he agreed. "Did you know them well?"

As the couple began reminiscing about the days they knew Mayor Lockwood as a child, Damon's eyes flicked back and forth to the edge of the woods. He squinted, just making out a woman. She wasn't looking at him, but her gaze was fixated elsewhere. Damon followed her line of sight to...Elena. As he watched, the woman shifted slightly, coming out of the shadows.

Katherine.


	10. Haunted

**Author's Note: **Here's a big THANK YOU to everyone who's been reviewing! You guys are the best :) Also, for those of you who have asked, _of course _I am a "Delena" supporter! However, I am trying to make this as true to the show as possible, and we all know that the writers aren't going to make those two randomly hook up. The beauty of their relationship is in it's complexity, and I'm trying to capture that essence in this story. Oh, and I also know that the chapters are short but that's why I update so often ;)

* * *

"She got away _again?" _Alaric asked warily, his eyes flicking towards Jenna, who was standing near by.

"Damon and I tried to follow her, but she disappeared the second she saw us coming," Stefan said in an undertone.

"She really is everywhere, isn't she?" Alaric asked, not looking impressed. "I wonder what she wants."

"She was apparently watching Elena."

"That doesn't surprise me."

Stefan raised his eyebrows, "Doesn't it?"

"Wouldn't you be interested in your doppelganger?" Alaric pointed out.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Jenna demanded, walking over to them.

"Oh..just wondering if the police have any leads on who stabbed John," Alaric quickly said, glancing at Stefan.

"Why would Stefan know anything about that?"

Alaric coughed, "Well, his brother _is _on pretty good terms with the sheriff..."

They all turned to see Damon and the sheriff quietly talking at the edge of the crowd. Stefan narrowed his eyes. Damon looked like he was trying to hide his impatience. Meaning, the sheriff wasn't being very helpful.

"Oh yes, I forgot that the Founder's Council hangs on to Damon's every word," Jenna sniffed.

Alaric frowned, "What's wrong? Did Damon do something?"

Jenna glanced at Stefan before shaking her head, "No, of course not. What would make you think that?"

Stefan smiled, "Jenna, allow me to apologize for whatever it is that Damon did. I'm sure he didn't mean it."

Jenna shook her head, "You _are _the good brother, aren't you?" With that, she walked away.

Alaric frowned, "What do you think he did?"

"No idea."

........

"So you have no idea what the Council's next move is?" Damon repeated incredulously.

"Well, I think all the vampires have been taken care of," the sheriff said with a shrug, not meeting his gaze.

"You think _all _of them were caught that night?"

"Why? You don't think so?"

"Well, in all the chaos..." Damon trailed off purposefully. "You can't be sure that you got all of them."

"John Gilbert is dead," the sheriff said determinately. "He and the mayor are the ones that wanted to use this town as bait, and look where that got them!"

"So you're giving up?"

The sheriff sighed, "I don't expect you to understand, Damon. You're young, you don't have a family to protect. After seeing my daughter in the hospital--"

"That wasn't the vampires fault," Damon interrupted. "And I _do _have a family to protect. Stefan and I might not get along, but he's my brother and I care very deeply for him and his...friends."

"I know," the sheriff said, patting his arm. "You've done so much for this town already, so I understand the need to protect it. But I'm afraid we really don't know what our next move is."

Damon opened his mouth to argue, when he felt someone brush his shoulder. He turned around to see Elena standing there, her arms crossed. "What is it?" he demanded.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Elena asked, with forced politeness.

Damon took in her expression, "Excuse me, sheriff." He followed Elena until they were some distance from the crowd. "You keep taking me aside like this, I'm gonna start thinking you have a crush on me," Damon grinned, leaning towards her.

"I told you to stop doing that eye thing," she snapped.

"Well, isn't somebody in a _mood,_" Damon said, straightening. "What's up?"

She glanced towards Stefan, who was still talking to Alaric. "Tell me what's going on, Damon."

Damon raised his eyebrows, "Why don't you ask your boyfriend?"

Elena looked annoyed, "You know he won't tell me anything."

"Maybe there's a reason for that, Elena," Damon said, beginning to walk away. He stopped in surprise when Elena grabbed his arm.

"Please, Damon."

"Stefan will kill me," Damon said humorlessly. "He's trying to protect you."

"I'm tired of being _protected," _Elena hissed. "I'm not a child!"

"I can see that," Damon said, making a show of looking her over. She rolled her eyes, and Damon smirked in response. "But we're not discussing this now."

"Yes, we are," Elena insisted.

"Fine," he snapped, losing patience. He took her arm, leading her away from the crowd gathered until they were surrounded by the mist and fog in an isolated part of the cemetery.

She turned to face him directly, "Tell me what's going on."

"The mayor was thrown into that burning building with the rest of the tomb vampires that night," Damon began. "I saw him. I spoke to him. He wasn't affected by the vervain, so he couldn't be a vampire. But one of them—the leader I think—snapped his neck. And so we thought he died."

Damon paused, but Elena didn't say anything. "And then later I find out that his son, Tyler, gets into a car crash. When asked what happened, he merely says that he heard a noise and lost control of the car. This noise, of course, being the frequency emitted from the Gilbert device. We speculated that the frequency must be heard by all supernatural beings, and not just vampires."

"So you think that Tyler and his dad are…what exactly?" Elena asked, and he had to give her props for being so quick on the uptake.

"That's where your friend Bonnie comes in. She came to us that night with her Grandmother's old spellbooks and we tried to look through them to see if there was any information of another…creature."

"Bonnie knew about this before me?" Elena demanded.

"Oh right," Damon said thoughtfully. "You didn't know about that."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Fine, what did you find out?"

"Actually, she figured it out," Damon paused, stepping closer to Elena. "Werewolf," he whispered, smiling slightly when she shivered.

"Werewolf?" she repeated, taking a step back. "Is that…possible?"

Damon grinned, "Are you really asking a vampire that question?" He went on, "Now, the real problem is that we're fairly sure that fire does not kill a werewolf. That's what I was reading about when you stopped by earlier looking for Stefan."

"What have you found out?"

"Most of the books are pretty adamant about silver being the only thing that can kill a werewolf. Everything else just talks about the full moon being required for a transformation."

Elena swallowed and looked away. Damon stepped closer, "Hey, look at me," he cupped her face gently, "It'll be okay. We'll figure it out."

"So is that what Stefan is talking to Alaric about?"

"Nope," Damon said, leading the way back. "Actually, he's talking about the fact that Katherine was here. Watching you."

"What--" She broke off as her phone rang. She glanced at the screen before handing the phone to Damon, "I don't feel like talking to him right now."

"Elena's phone," Damon answered with a smirk. "She doesn't want to speak to--"

_"Bonnie's missing." _


	11. Witch

"Are we sure she's been taken?" Damon asked.

"Jenna said she saw 'Elena' take Bonnie away," Alaric confirmed. "Which couldn't have been possible because--"

"She was with me," Damon finished.

"We have to find Katherine. There's no other choice," Elena implored.

Stefan had his head in hands, and didn't answer. Damon got up to pour himself a drink. He downed it in one gulp, ignoring Elena's look of annoyance.

"I agree," Alaric said. "She leaves us with no other choice."

Stefan spoke for the first time, "That appears to be her plan."

"To back us into a corner," Damon agreed. He glanced at Alaric, "It'll be a trap."

"But what does she want?" Alaric asked.

"Ah, the million dollar question. I can tell you right now, there's no point in even trying to guess. Katherine is insane."

"You guys know her," Elena pleaded. "Don't you have any idea—"

"No," Damon cut her off, "We don't."

"Is she after revenge?" Alaric asked the room at large. "After the founding families?"

"That doesn't make sense. Then she wouldn't have tried to kill the tomb vampires," Stefan answered.

"What makes you think she knew what the tomb vampires were up to?" Alaric returned.

"This is _Katherine _we're talking about," Damon interrupted. "You can bet she knew every single detail about what was going on. Don't forget she has Isobel working for her."

"Well, she had Isobel _and _John. Before she killed him," Elena put in.

Damon stared at her for a second, "So, now all she has left is Isobel."

"I highly doubt Katherine is working alone," Stefan interjected, shaking his head. "I'm gonna guess that's why she took Bonnie."

"So she could have a witch on her side," Alaric agreed.

"But how did she overpower Bonnie?" Elena asked. "You saw what she could do that night. Her powers are getting stronger."

"Bonnie might be a strong witch," Stefan said, turning to look at Damon, "But Katherine has been around for years."

"It's likely that Bonnie's spells didn't have an effect on a vampire as old as Katherine," Damon said thoughtfully.

"I can't believe she'd risk it though," Elena insisted. "Even Isobel told me she'd never go after Bonnie."

"Isobel is a considerably younger vampire than Katherine," Stefan reminded her. "Damon turned her many years later."

"How could I forget."

"Please tell me you don't still blame me for this," Damon said in disbelief. "The woman is a first class bitch, and I don't see why you'd still want her in your life—"

"Seems like all the women in your life fit that category, Damon."

Damon frowned at Elena's words, but she looked away. "Hey, what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Damon protested, standing up.

Stefan moved to stand between them, "Look, we don't have time for this. Katherine is trying to isolate us, make us weak. This is the time to stick together—"

"Enough with the speeches," Damon cut him off. "What's your plan?"

"First, we need to make sure everyone else is safe," Stefan said, looking around. "If she's not afraid to take Bonnie, then we can't take any chances."

"Stefan's right. I think it'll be best if I take Jenna and Jeremy to my house while you guys are looking for Katherine," Alaric said, taking out his phone. "That way, Katherine won't be able to enter."

"How are you going to pull that off?" Stefan asked.

Alaric shrugged, walking into the next room to make the call. "I'll think of something."

"Good idea," Damon said. "Elena can stay with you."

"Excuse me? I'm going with you guys!"

"Absolutely not," Damon snapped, looking to Stefan for backup. "Who knows how many vampires Katherine brought with her? We're not taking that risk—"

"Stefan!" Elena said, ignoring Damon. "I'm coming with you!"

Stefan sighed, "Elena, I think Damon is right on this one. We can't protect you if we don't know what we're walking into."

"Bonnie's _my _friend! I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing—"

"We owe her," Damon interrupted. "We'll take care of it."

Alaric walked back into the room, looking confused. "Elena, do you know where your brother is?"

Elena frowned, standing up. "He should be in his room…why?"

"I'm talking to your aunt right now, and she thought he was with you. He's not in the house—"

"Oh my god," Elena said frantically, pulling out her own phone. She hit speed dial and waited. Damon winced when he heard her heartbeat rise rapidly. "It's going straight to voicemail!" she whispered, her eyes wide. "What do you think happened to him?"

Alaric said into the phone, "We, ah, don't know where he is."

"Don't tell me this isn't my fight now," Elena hissed, staring straight at Damon. "He's my brother."

Damon didn't answer. Alaric hung up and grabbed his coat. "Jenna is freaking out. I'm gonna head over there so we can start looking for him in the local haunts, on the off chance that he just decided to go for a walk. Text me when you find Katherine."

"Don't forget to ingest vervain," Stefan called after him. "Slip some of it into Jenna's drink, too."

Alaric nodded, "Will do. Elena, are you coming?"

She crossed her arms, "No."

Stefan began arguing with her and Alaric nodded to Damon, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Damon followed Alaric into the hallway, out of hearing range of the other two. "What's with all the secrecy?"

"If you ask me, we're looking at this all wrong," Alaric said, staring at Damon significantly.

"What are you talking about?"

"We're all concerned that Katherine is targeting people that Elena cares about…but it seems to me that she's targeting people _you _care about, Damon."

Damon frowned, "That's ridiculous—"

"Is it? She went after Bonnie only after you told me that she saw you guys talking together at school. She went after Jeremy only after you talked to him this afternoon…it adds up."

"How would she know that I talked to Jeremy?" Damon demanded.

Alaric shrugged, "You tell me. She's already been invited into the Gilbert household. She could have been in there…or she could've even been outside listening."

Damon stared at him, narrowing his eyes, "One flaw with your idea. Why would she go after people I care about?"

Alaric raised his eyebrows, "Done anything to piss her off lately?"

Damon crossed his arms, thinking. "Well, I did call her a bitch to Isobel. That might've pissed her off…"

"Anything else?" he insisted.

"What are you getting at?" Damon asked, realizing that Alaric had something in mind.

"You were awfully vague about what you two discussed when you ran into her the other night." Damon stiffened, and Alaric continued, "You know, when you thought she was Elena."

"It was…" Damon hesitated, "Not important."

"I doubt that," Alaric replied, clapping a hand on Damon's shoulder. "In fact, I'm like 98% sure that whatever you said to her then has _really _pissed her off. When you decide you want to tell me about it, you let me know."

He slammed the door behind him, leaving Damon silent.


	12. Vervain

"Will you please reconsider?" Stefan asked, as he poured Elena a drink. He slowly mixed in the vervain and then handed it to her. "Me and Damon can handle it."

"No," Elena said resolutely, taking the glass from him and drinking it down in one gulp. "Stefan, you have to understand. Bonnie is my best friend…"

"I know," Stefan said with a understanding smile, "And I know that you want to protect her, but—"

"Nothing you can say is going to change my mind," Elena cut him off.

Stefan shook his head, but didn't press the issue. Instead, he sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and closed her eyes, "So, what's the plan?"

Stefan glanced out of the window, where the sun was just beginning to set. "We'll wait till nightfall," he said thoughtfully. "If Katherine has brought vampires with her, then they most likely won't have rings."

"So they can only come out at night," Elena finished, gazing out the window as well.

Stefan looked around, realizing the house had gone silent. "Where has Damon gone off to?"

Elena shrugged, "Alaric wanted to talk to him in private."

"But Alaric left like a half hour ago…" Stefan walked out into the hallway, but there was no one there.

"Stefan?" Elena joined him in the hallway. "What's wrong? Where's Damon?"

"I don't know," Stefan said, a thought occurring to him. "Elena, I want you to stay right here, okay?" He pulled on his jacket, kissing her quickly. "I'll be right back."

"Wait, I'll come with you," Elena protested, following him to the door. "Where are you going?"

"If Damon has gone after Katherine himself, then it's not safe for you," Stefan said firmly. "Don't go anywhere."

"Wait—" Elena began, but Stefan super sped out of the door, faster than she could blink.

…………

"Hey, Mr. Saltzman!"

Alaric turned to see Tyler, Matt, and Caroline playing pool. Caroline waved enthusiastically at him, and Jenna smiled. "You go say hi to your students. I'll go ask the bartender if he's seen Jeremy tonight."

"Okay," Alaric agreed, making his way over to the pool table. "What are you guys doing here on a school night?" he asked good naturedly.

"Tyler didn't feel like being alone after his dad's funeral," Matt said quietly, looking over to where Tyler was calculating angles around the pool table. "So we brought him here."

"Of course," Alaric said quickly. "I understand." He hesitated for a second, watching Tyler carefully. Someone had to keep an eye on the kid. Who knew when he'd snap..or when the inevitable transformation would finally take place?

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Caroline piped up, looking over at Jenna questioningly. "Are you on a date?"

"What?" Alaric asked, flustered. "No, no, nothing like that. We're, ah, actually looking for Jeremy. You haven't by any chance seen him, have you?"

"Jeremy?" Tyler asked, now paying attention. "What happened?"

Alaric noted the concern in Tyler's voice. "He was released from the hospital today and he was supposed to stay at home, but he…isn't there."

"Oh my god, I hope he's okay," Caroline said, turning to look at Matt. "Elena must be worried sick."

Matt frowned, "Is there any way we can help?"

"No," Alaric said quickly, regretting bringing it up. He didn't need these kids to get in the middle of Katherine's crossfire. "Just…keep a look out. He might decide to come here, you never know."

"Sure thing," Tyler said seriously. "Are you sure you don't want us to help look for him?"

"No, but thanks," Alaric said, as Jenna started walking towards them, looking upset. "We've already got Elena, Stefan, and Damon searching as well."

"What about the police?" Caroline said suddenly. "I can tell my mom," she offered.

"Would you?" Jenna asked desperately. "I can't make an official complaint because it's only been a few hours, but the more people out looking for him, the better."

Alaric tried to smile.

If only she knew.

…………..

"Finally!" Elena said jumping up from the couch. She stopped short when she saw Damon. "Where's Stefan?"

"It's good to see you too, Elena," Damon said, with just a shadow of a smirk. "Did you miss me?"

"Damon. _Where's Stefan?"_

Damon peered into the living room, and then turned back to Elena, frowning. "I thought he was with you?"

She stared at him, "He thought you went after Katherine by yourself."

"What on earth gave him that idea?" Damon demanded incredulously. "I was just doing a quick run through town to look for Jeremy."

"I thought that's what Alaric and Jenna were doing," Elena said, with a frown.

"But they're human," Damon replied, smiling slightly. "I got the job done much faster."

Elena shook her head, following Damon into the library. "You can't just go off by yourself, Damon! We're a team, we need to work together--"

"Too bad I'm not a team player."

"Damon--" she stopped, taking a deep breath. She stared at him for a minute as he rustled through some books. "What are you doing?"

"Just looking for..._this." _He pulled out a calendar from under a pile of books and studied it carefully before circling a date in red. "The full moon," he murmured. "It's in two days."

"Are you seriously worried about Tyler at a time like this?" Elena snapped.

Damon leaned forward on the table, his face darkening. "I look at the bigger picture, _Elena_. Tyler is a threat, and we can't let ourselves be distracted just because Katherine is messing with our lives…for all we know, that's exactly what she wants!"

He turned and stalked back to the living room to pour himself a drink, smiling when Elena followed him. "What are Jenna and Alaric doing then? Since you already went through town?"

Damon took a sip of vodka slowly. "I didn't tell them. It's better for Jenna if she has something to do, instead of just waiting around."

Elena didn't say anything, and Damon glanced at her. "Stefan will be fine," he said, correctly interpreting her silence. "Look, it just turned dark outside. I'm sure he'll be right back."

"I hope so."

Damon grinned, "He's not gonna be happy when he finds out I was alone with his girl—"

"Quit playing around," Elena said tiredly, walking towards the sofa unsteadily.

Damon paused in the act of pouring another shot, his eyes narrowing. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of her. "Elena? What's wrong?"

She winced, holding a hand up to her head. "I don't know…"

"Maybe you should sit down," Damon said, putting an arm around her and trying to lead her to the sofa.

"No, I'll be okay," Elena protested, trying to push him away.

Damon cocked his head, concerned when he heard her heart skip a beat. Without warning, she suddenly fell backwards. Damon dropped the glass he was holding and it shattered at his feet.

He caught her in his arms the instant before she hit the floor. "Elena!" he shook her, but her eyes closed and she didn't move.

At that second, the door opened and Stefan walked in. He looked at Elena, but seemed neither surprised nor worried. "I was just looking for you," he said casually to Damon. "Ready to go?"

* * *

***props to anyone who can figure out what's going on..post your ideas in the reviews ;)**


	13. Unlucky

**Author's Note: **I really enjoyed reading everyone's guesses about what happened in the previous chapter! Quite a lot of you were on the right track :) Some of you were wayyy more creative than I am, though! Thanks again for all your responses. Also, just a note to all of you, the chapters WILL be getting a bit longer, starting with the next one ;)

* * *

"So you have a death wish," Damon mused, walking alongside Stefan. "You still haven't forgiven yourself for the whole Katherine mess and you want Elena to kill you. Literally."

"No."

Damon snapped his fingers, "Oh, I get it now. You're out for revenge! Elena drugged you with vervain, so this is you getting back at her—"

"Damon, stop."

Damon super sped to block Stefan's path, his eyes narrowing. "Not until you tell me what the hell you're thinking!"

Stefan looked back at him calmly. "I'm protecting her. Elena has no idea the kind of damage that Katherine could inflict. She's just going to get herself hurt." He stepped around Damon and continued walking, sighing with impatience when Damon blocked his path again.

"That's your problem, Stefan. You always take things to the extreme. And you're taking this whole 'protecting the damsel in distress' act a bit too far."

"No. I'm doing what's best for her." He sidestepped Damon again, "It's getting late. Hurry up."

"She'll never forgive you for this," Damon called to him, not moving.

Stefan paused, taking a deep breath. "That's okay. At least she'll be safe in Alaric's house."

Damon picked up his pace to catch up with Stefan as they both entered the woods. "How did you explain it to them, anyway?" Damon asked, looking up to scan the trees for vampires. "I'd imagine showing up on Alaric's doorstep with an unconscious Elena didn't go over so well?"

"I told them that Elena hadn't been sleeping well –which is true- and that Jeremy going missing was too much to handle, so she just sort of passed out." Stefan shrugged, "It was believable. Jenna bought the story."

"Did you tell Rick the truth?"

"He didn't have to know," Stefan muttered, squinting in the darkness. "See anything?"

Damon stopped and tilted his head, trying to listen. _Trees rustling in the wind…the hoot of an owl…and…voices? _"Do you hear that?" he asked Stefan in barely a whisper.

Stefan narrowed his eyes and nodded silently. "Vampires?" he mouthed.

Damon listened carefully. It sounded like the voices were coming from up ahead. They had just taken a step in that direction when abruptly the woods went silent.

Too silent.

"We've got company," Stefan shouted, throwing caution to the winds as a whoosh of sound told them what was coming.

Damon retreated until he and Stefan were back-to-back, completely encircled by vampires that seemed to have come out of the shadows. "Well, this should be interesting," Damon said, his eyes flitting around the circle. "Recognize any of them?"

"No, you?"

"Nope," Damon replied conversationally. "They might be newly turned."

"Which would make them weak," Stefan deduced, beginning to crouch into an attacking position. "You take half, I take half?"

"They might be weak," a voice said sweetly, "But even you must have realized that you're sorely outnumbered."

Damon froze, and Stefan slowly stood back up. The circle parted and for the first time in 145 years, the Salvatore brothers were face-to-face with the woman who had changed their lives forever.

……….

Elena yawned, and reached over to turn off her alarm. Her hand met only thin air. She blearily opened her eyes and blinked, a surge of panic going through her as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings.

She bolted up, looking around the room. Where the hell was she?

She glanced around for a clock, but there was none. Feeling her cell phone in her pocket, she pulled it out to look at the time. Almost midnight.

She tiptoed to the door, and slowly opened it, breathing a sigh of relief when she recognized Jenna's voice speaking softly from downstairs.

Padding slowly down the stairs, she stopped in surprise seeing Alaric and Jenna seated in a kitchen, talking quietly.

"Elena!" her aunt said, looking surprised. "I thought you'd be out cold for the night! What are you doing up? Do you want me to make you something? Tea? A midnight snack?"

Elena blinked, completely disoriented. "Um, where am I?"

Alaric stood up, "Welcome to my home, Elena." He noted the confusion on her face and hurriedly went on, "Stefan brought you by earlier. You were fast asleep, so we just put you in the guest bedroom upstairs…I hope we didn't wake you up?"

"No," Elena said, rubbing her face. "I thought I heard…like an alarm or something." She shook her head, "I must have been dreaming—"

She broke off when she realized what he had said. "Wait, _Stefan _brought me over here?"

Alaric nodded, wearing an odd expression on his face. Elena glanced at him and then looked back at her aunt. "Have you found Jeremy yet?"

Jenna sighed, shaking her head. "We looked everywhere, but there was no sign of him. I can't file an official complaint till tomorrow, but we ran into your friend Caroline and she said she'd pass the message on to her mother."

"That's…good."

"You should really go back to sleep, Elena," Jenna said, looking concerned. "Stefan said you haven't been sleeping at all for the last two days."

"Did he?" Elena frowned, beginning to get an inkling of what had happened. "Um, good idea. I think I will go back to bed." She gave Alaric a significant look and began climbing the stairs slowly.

As she reached the top, she heard Alaric say quickly, "She might be cold. I'll just show her where the extra blankets are."

"Okay," Jenna agreed.

Elena went into the guest room and waited. Alaric showed up a second later, and put a finger to his lips before slowly closing the door. "What's going on?" Elena demanded in a harsh whisper.

"I honestly have no idea," Alaric said in an undertone. "Stefan wouldn't tell me what happened. He just wanted me to keep you here—"

"_Keep me here?" _Elena repeated, beginning to get angry. "Alaric, I don't even remember seeing Stefan…he—he must've done…something…" she trailed off. "My drink! He must've put something in with the vervain--"

"Like a sedative?" Alaric asked, sounding skeptical.

"Yes! You know he didn't want me to go with them!" Elena's fist clenched, "Where is he?"

"He and Damon went into the woods to draw out the vampires. They think that'll lead them to Katherine," Alaric answered warily. "Elena—"

"I have to go find them," she interrupted. "I can't believe this!"

"No!" Alaric said sternly. "You're not leaving. It's far too dangerous."

"Mr. Saltzman," Elena said, trying to stay calm. "My brother, my best friend, my boyfriend, and Damon are all in trouble. You have to understand why I can't just stay here!"

Alaric looked away, but when he looked back at her, his face was set. "As your step-father, I forbid you to leave this house."

"Excuse me?" Elena said in disbelief, but he had already walked to the door.

He pulled a key from his pocket, "I'm locking you in. Good night."

Elena stared after him, her mouth open. Step-father? He couldn't be serious. Just because Isobel had been her mother, gave him _no right_…She paused, trying to calm herself. This wasn't important right now. First, she had to get out of here. She walked over to the window and carefully pried it open, looking down to judge the distance.

Although she was on the second floor, the roof jutted out just below her so she would have something to land on before jumping onto the ground. She nodded to herself and quickly looked around the room, her gaze falling on her jacket, which was folded on a chair in the corner.

She pulled it on, startled when something small fell out of it. She carefully picked it up and examined it. It was a small syringe, and there was a note taped to it: _Filled with vervain. Just in case- Alaric. _

Elena shook her head with a smile. So, he had known she would try to escape. She tucked the syringe back into her pocket and climbed out of the window. Taking care not to make a lot of noise, she landed on the roof with a soft thud and then carefully jumped down onto the ground.

She winced as she landed a little harder than she meant to. Taking a final look back towards the house, she began sprinting towards the woods.


	14. Spell

The fight had been short—and unfair. Damon and Stefan could have easily taken down the vamps, had they not been distracted by Katherine's appearance—a crucial mistake, no doubt one that she had planned. The circle of vampires had attacked at once, armed with shots of vervain.

Damon threw one look of disbelief in Katherine's direction before the world went black around him.

When he came to, he was being dragged by a rope on the ground. He couldn't move, still hindered by the effects of the vervain. But, he could tell that they were in the heart of the woods. He turned his head to the side as much as he could, and saw Stefan being treated in the same manner. His eyes were still closed.

"Bring them into the basement with the others," Katherine's voice called when suddenly everyone stopped. "Make sure to chain them to the walls."

Damon looked up at what could only be described as a Victorian house gone to seed. It must have once been very beautiful, and it had endured the test of time, retaining much of its beauty. However, there was no getting around the fact that its location in the midst of the woods had given the outside, at least, the appearance of a shack.

The vampire holding his rope began to drag him up the steps when suddenly there was a hiss and a yelp. "What are you doing?" Katherine demanded. "_Carry _them into the house! They're no use to me as damaged goods!"

"Sorry," the vampire muttered.

There was a sudden thump, and Damon looked next to him to see a vampire on the ground with a stake in his chest. "Let that be a lesson to all of you," Katherine said coldly. "Take them in."

Damon felt himself being lifted and the world flew by as the vampire carrying him super sped into the house, and down some stairs. Damon was shoved roughly against a stone wall, and his hands were lifted and chained.

Then all was silent.

Damon cautiously opened his eyes, looking around at a large square room, presumably the basement of the house. It was lit with several torches, which flickered over—

"Bonnie?" Damon said hoarsely, cursing the vervain. "Is that you?"

Bonnie looked up at him, her eyes haunted. She was also chained, but was sitting in the opposite corner of the room, next to—Damon squinted, making out an unmoving body—Jeremy.

"So she got you, too," Bonnie's voice was flat, unemotional.

Stefan stirred, and Damon looked over at his brother. Stefan was chained in a similar manner a few feet away. He looked around the room, confused. "Where are we?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Damon said nonchalantly. "Maybe the witch can help us out."

Bonnie shrugged, "We're in the middle of the woods, not too far from Mystic Falls. That's all I know."

"How exceedingly helpful."

"Don't start with me, Damon."

"Bonnie, what did she do to you?" Stefan asked, wincing in pain as he tried to move his arms.

"She brought me here, told me that it wasn't my time yet…" Bonnie trailed off.

"Did you try using magic on her?" Damon demanded.

"It—it didn't work. I don't know what happened."

"Bonnie, I want you to listen to me," Stefan said, watching her closely. "Katherine is an extremely strong vampire, and we predicted that your magic wouldn't have an effect on her. But, you _can _still help. Can you try to get us out of these chains?"

Bonnie shook her head, "I can't do anything," she whispered. "I tried…I couldn't even get myself out."

Damon's vision suddenly cleared, and he focused on Jeremy. "Is he okay?"

"She knocked him out cold," Bonnie replied, glancing down at him. "He's not even chained up."

Stefan frowned, "Is he--?"

"He's alive," a voice answered. "But just barely."

Everyone turned to see Katherine walk down the stairs, a smile on her face. "My, my, history certainly _is _repeating itself, isn't it? The Salvatores, the Gilberts—" She paused, "Maybe the Lockwoods will be joining us soon?"

"What do you want?" Damon hissed.

Katherine didn't look at him, and made her way over to Bonnie. "Do you see this?" Katherine asked, holding out a spellbook. She placed it on the floor and opened it to a bookmarked page. "You're going to do a little spell for us."

"Katherine, don't," Stefan pleaded. "Please don't do this."

"Oh Stefan," Katherine sighed. "You never knew how to have fun." She grinned, "But Damon on the other hand…" She walked slowly over to Damon, and ran her hand down his chest, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. "You were always the bad boy," she whispered seductively, leaning in until their faces were inches apart.

Damon's eyes roamed her face. _So much like Elena…_Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned forward to close the distance between them, his lips touching hers. Katherine kissed him back hungrily, shoving him back against the wall. She pulled away after a few moments, looking pleased. "I have so many plans for you, Damon," she murmured against his lips.

Damon leaned back, breathing hard. "Oh yeah? Care to share?"

Katherine pulled a key out of her pocket and went over to Bonnie, unchaining her from the wall. She knelt down so they were face to face. "The only reason you're not dead right now is because I need you to do this spell," she said coldly, "And you better do it right."

Stefan opened his mouth to say something but suddenly froze, his head tilted, listening to something. Bonnie's eyes were wide, and Katherine laughed. "I've been waiting for this!" she said joyfully. "Bring her down!" she called up the stairs.

Damon looked up in dismay to see Elena walking down the stairs. She stopped when she got to the bottom and stared at the scene in front of her, her gaze finally falling on her brother. "Oh my god, Jeremy! Is he—"

"He's alive," Katherine cut in, "And if you want to keep him that way, then you'll do what I say."

Elena licked her lips, looking over at Bonnie. "She has nothing to do with this! Please let her go—"

"I need her," Katherine interrupted. "And she has everything to do with this. Am I wrong in assuming that she's the one that led you here?"

"What?" Elena asked, looking confused.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Katherine whispered. "I know you couldn't find this place on your own. Something—or someone—led you here. And I know it was the witch." She turned towards Bonnie, who flinched. "Oh I'm not mad," Katherine laughed. "On the contrary, I've been waiting for Elena to get here. Now we can finally start."

"Start what?" Stefan demanded. "Let Elena go, it's me and Damon that you want!"

"Yes," Katherine agreed, "But she wants both of you, and you both want her. It's all a big tangled circle, really." She smirked and then called up the stairs, "We're ready!"

One of the vampires came down, looking hungrily at Elena. Katherine frowned, "Don't be an idiot. None of these humans are for feeding."

"Just a taste…?"

"You moron," Katherine said flatly. "I'm sure they've all ingested vervain. There is no point in feeding off them." She held out her hand, "Do you have it?" The vampire grunted and placed a small object in her hand. "Good, now go up and lock the door. Nobody comes down here until I say so."

Katherine turned and slowly walked towards Damon, holding the object out in her hand.

"You've got to be kidding me," Damon groaned, recognizing the syringe in her hand. "More vervain?"

Katherine smiled, running a finger down his cheek. "We can't have you conscious for this spell, Damon." He fought against the chains, but she swiftly inserted the syringe into his arm, watching him carefully.

He blacked out immediately.

Katherine sighed, and unchained him from the wall. She deposited him gently on the floor in front of Bonnie. "Do the spell. Now."

"Wait, what are you going to do to him?" Elena demanded.

Katherine looked over at her and frowned. "You should sit over there," she said, pointing to a spot across from Bonnie. Then we will have a circle."

Elena slowly moved over, confused. Bonnie shifted the spellbook to her lap, looking weary. "This is an extremely advanced spell—"

In the blink of an eye, Katherine appeared behind Elena, holding a knife to her neck. Bonnie gasped, and there was a clink of chains as Stefan strained against them. "How's this for incentive?" Katherine breathed. "You don't do the spell right, then I kill her."

"Okay, okay," Bonnie said hurriedly. "I'll do the spell!" Katherine moved away from Elena, her face expressionless.

"What is this spell?" Stefan demanded. "What are you trying to do, Katherine?"

She rolled her eyes, "So impatient." She whirled around and appeared next to Stefan, who leant back immediately, trying to distance himself from her. "Bonnie's right, of course," Katherine began. "It is an advanced spell, extremely powerful magic." She glanced around the room, "It'll bind us together as one, hence the circle."

"Bind us together?" Elena repeated.

"To Damon's memories," Katherine clarified. "More specifically, to his memories of _you, _Elena--speaking of which, I'm gonna need something of yours to give Damon, or else the spell won't work." She eyed Elena, appearing in front of her in a blur. She fingered her neck, "Pretty necklace."

"No—" Stefan started.

"Was it a gift?" Katherine asked, looking amused. She turned back to Elena, and raised her eyebrows, "Give me the necklace before I rip it off myself."

Elena glared at her before unclipping the necklace and handing it over. Katherine smiled pleasantly and walked over to Damon, depositing it into his hand and curling his fingers around it. "There. Now when we do the spell, the only memories we will see are the ones he remembers of you."

"What do you mean, the ones we'll _see?" _ Elena asked, looking at Bonnie.

"It'll be like a dream," Bonnie hesitated, "You'll see it in your mind."

"All of us?"

"All of us," Katherine confirmed, looking excited. "Let the games begin."


	15. Memories

**Author's Note: **A few people said they were confused by last chapter, so just to recap: The entire gang has been captured by Katherine, who hasn't said what she wants to do with them OR why she has returned to Mystic Falls. All she has said is that she wants to see Damon's memories. Delena fans should enjoy this chapter. It should feel very...familiar ;)

* * *

Elena didn't know a lot about magic, but she knew that Bonnie was putting a lot of effort into this spell. The flames from the torches suddenly grew, blinding all of them for a split second before simmering down.

"It's done," Bonnie breathed, opening her eyes. She looked utterly spent. "If you all close your eyes, you should be able to see his memories."

"Start it from the beginning," Katherine whispered, closing her eyes. "I want to see it all."

_You must be Elena. I'm Damon..Stefan's brother_.

"The introduction," Katherine mused. Elena stared at her with wide eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing.

_Which one of you dated her first?  
Nicely deduced. Ask Stefan, I'm sure his answer differs from mine.  
I'm sorry..about Katherine. You lost her, too._

_"_Hmm, so you're a smart one, aren't you?" Katherine said, running a hand along Elena's face. Elena turned away, but Katherine looked neither offended nor disturbed. "And already showing your empathy for Damon," she continued. "That was sooner than I expected." Stefan shifted, but when Elena looked at him, his face was expressionless.

_I get to you, you find yourself drawn to me. You think about me even when you don't want to think about me..I bet you've even dreamed about me. And right now..you want to kiss me._  
_I don't know what happened in the past, but I am NOT Katherine!_

"Ah, and the Salvatore obsession starts," Katherine said softly, her eyes closed. "You were right, you know, to remind him," she said to Elena, opening her eyes. "Yet, he still seems to have forgotten your little warning, hasn't he?" Elena said nothing, taking care not to look in Stefan's direction.

_Who was in the church that they wanted to save?_  
_A woman, I guess...Doesn't it always come down to love of a woman?_

"It certainly does," Katherine murmured. "And the Salvatores surely have been cursed with their love of a woman, haven't they?" She eyed Elena, "Though it seems that over a century of change hasn't cured them of their taste for a certain kind of woman..."

_You confuse me with someone with remorse..none of this matters to me. None of it._  
_People die around you! How could it not matter? It matters and you know it!_

"Such a brave little thing, to stand up to Damon," Katherine said quietly. "Of course, you already knew that he would never hurt you..._"_

_"_Stop this," Stefan demanded suddenly, and Elena jumped.

Katherine turned to glare at him, "Not until I've found out everything I want to know."

_Don't, don't--please don't hurt him!  
So..why did you bring me with you?  
You're not the worst company in the world, Elena.  
I saved your life..  
I know.  
And don't you forget it._

"Ah," Katherine smiled. "The beginning of a beautiful friendship. You fell to his charms rather quickly, Elena..."

Damon stirred, opening his eyes. "Don't," his voice was barely a whisper.

"He's coming out of the vervain," Katherine called up the stairs. "Bring some more."

_I'm wearing vervain, Damon. It's not gonna work.  
I'm not compelling you. I just want you to answer me, honestly.  
Trust breeds trust. You have to give it to get it._

_"_Trust," Katherine said, staring at Stefan. "It's such a fickle little thing. Imagine putting your trust in the wrong people..."

_You and I, we have something...an understanding. And I know that my betrayal hurt you...  
I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun. I wanted it to be real. I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it._

Katherine shook her head, "He forgave you so easily." She turned to look at Damon while one of her vampires injected him with vervain. "I hope you can hear me, Damon. You realize you deserve this, don't you? For letting your human emotions take over..."

_Just as I was starting to think there was something redeemable about you--  
Am I missing something here?  
My birth mother? Her name was Isobel..go ahead, reminisce about how you killed her!_

Katherine's gaze was steely, and when she spoke, she sounded slightly out of breath. "What did you do?" she demanded to Bonnie, who looked confused. She stalked over and grabbed her throat. Elena gasped, and Stefan strained against his chains. "I could..feel.." Katherine's chest heaved. "His pain. Damon's emotions--" she turned back to Bonnie. "How are you making me feel this?"

_"_I didn't change the spell," Bonnie gasped out in pain. "You wanted to be connected to his memories. That particular memory held strong emotion for him." Katherine let go of her just as suddenly, and Bonnie slumped back to the floor, massaging her neck. "You're feeling what Damon felt when that happened to him."

Elena looked up slowly, meeting Katherine's furious gaze. She looked over at Stefan, who looked shocked. Elena's heart beat painfully in her chest. This needed to end. Now.

_You'll get yourself killed, you're not going in there.  
Damon, now is not the time to be the lone ranger!  
I can't protect you, Elena! I have to be able to get in, and get out..I can't be distracted with your safety, or this will end up being a bloodbath that none of us walk away from..._

Katherine licked her lips, "Fear. He felt fear...for you." She turned to look at Elena, "It's been a long while since I've felt fear..."

_You ask, I come. I'm easy like that.  
He's not you, not even close.  
Well, he doesn't want to be me. That doesn't mean that deep down, that he's not.. _

_"_Classic Damon flirting," Katherine said, a small smile playing at her lips. "I remember it well."

_Now that I've got your attention, listen up. You DO NOT come into my town, threaten people I care about..going after Elena? Bad move.  
You took a risk with Damon. How did you know he was going to give it to me?  
Because he's in love with you._

"I already knew about this, of course," Katherine said idly. "Isobel told me," she glanced at Damon. "But I didn't believe it." She turned to look at Elena and said bluntly, "I still don't."

"Damon threatened Isobel?" Elena asked, her mind reeling. "She didn't mention that.."

_I like you better like this. The period look...didn't suit you.  
Is that an insult?  
Actually, Elena, it is a compliment of the highest order...  
Look, I know Stefan is worried about our friendship-- _

"How long did it take you?" Katherine said out loud, turning to look at Stefan.

_"_For what?" Stefan asked tiredly, a look of defeat on his face.

_"_To realize that you were losing her."

"I love Stefan!" Elena snapped. "I don't know what your problem is, but--"

"Be quiet," Katherine interrupted, closing her eyes.

_You know, I came into this town wanting to destroy it..tonight I found myself wanting to protect it. How does that happen? _

Elena frowned, as the image floated in her mind's eye. "Wait, that's not me..."

"No," Katherine agreed. "It's not."

_I'm not a hero, Elena. I don't do good. It's not in me.._

"This is when Damon said he ran into you," Elena realized. "He never told us what you guys talked about..."

"There's a good reason for that," Katherine replied, the glimmer of a smile on her face. "Stefan, are you paying attention?"

"As if I had a choice," he muttered.

_Somewhere along the way, you decided I was worth saving and I...wanted to thank you for that.  
You're welcome. _

Elena opened her eyes, her hand raising to her cheek of its own accord. It was almost as if she could _feel _the kiss. She turned to look at Bonnie, whose eyes were wide. Stefan's jaw was clenched, and he stood as still as a statue. The image in Elena's mind flickered, becoming out of focus. Elena frowned, but the image blacked out. Katherine's eyes flew open. She looked furious.

Bonnie quickly shook her head, backing away. "It wasn't me."

Elena and Katherine both turned to look at Damon the same time. His fist was clenched and his eyelids flickered. Katherine laughed, "Would you look at that? He's fighting the spell." She grinned at Elena, "He _really _doesn't want you guys to see what happened next.."

_"_I could feel..that," Elena said in wonderment, her hand brushing across her cheek again. "I could feel that kiss..."

_"_The strongest emotion of all," Katherine murmured, "Love."


	16. Undead

"Well that was fun, wasn't it?" Katherine said cheerfully. She looked around the room, taking in everyone's expressions. "Oh come on," she pouted, "You guys are no fun."

"Why are you doing this?" Stefan demanded. "For your own twisted pleasure?"

Katherine shrugged, walking over to Damon and carefully extracting the necklace from his grip. She held it up to the light, her face thoughtful. "It was important for me to know..." she paused, glancing at Elena. "I had to know _her_."

"You've already been spying on her," Stefan pointed out.

Katherine tucked the necklace into her pocket before snatching the spellbook out of Bonnie's hands. "I had to know what she meant to Damon," Katherine tilted her head, smiling. "And now I do." She walked back over to Damon, and stroked his face almost tenderly. He murmured something but didn't wake up. Katherine frowned down at him then called up the stairs, "This one needs more vervain!"

One of the vampires appeared in a blur, but looked down at Damon in hesitation. "This one's already had three injections tonight. Too much could be lethal—"

The change in her mood was immediate.

Katherine hissed, vamping out. Her eyes turned bloody, fangs protruding; Elena looked at her in horror as Katherine pulled out a stake and killed the vampire that had dared to question her.

The vampire fell with a loud thud.

Katherine turned, smiling at Elena's horrified stare. "Don't look at me like that, sweetheart. You're looking at your future..."

"No," Stefan snapped. "Elena will never be you!"

"She doesn't want to be me," Katherine mimicked, "That doesn't mean, deep down, that she's not." She changed back into human form, and Elena breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't tell me you've never thought about it, Elena. Being with the one you love forever…whether that be Stefan or Damon…"

"I love Stefan," Elena said, but her voice wavered.

Katherine merely laughed, "Who are you trying to convince?"

Elena didn't say anything, feeling a surge of hatred for her doppelganger.

Katherine grinned and ran a finger over Elena's lips. Elena jerked away, but Katherine grabbed her arm. "I hope you don't think you're special because he thought he kissed you," Katherine said in an icy tone. "Because not two hours ago, it was me he was kissing."

Elena leaned away from Katherine, but refused to back down. "What makes you think I care?"

"And not long before that," Katherine continued, ignoring Elena, "It was Isobel he was kissing. You know, your birth mother." She paused, and kissed Elena's cheek, in the exact same spot Damon had done to her. "A little sick and twisted, if you ask me."

She breathed in, her eyes going dark with pleasure. "I am _so_ craving human blood, Elena," she said, a satisfied smile playing at her lips. "You know, I think I'll go hunting right now." She began climbing the steps, "But don't forget. All my vampires are guarding the door, so don't even think about escaping." The door locked shut behind her.

"What was the point of all that?" Bonnie demanded. "Why did she make us sit through Damon's memories?"

"Katherine is a psychopath," Stefan said flatly. "Most vampires relish the kill, but Katherine will look for ways to...get to you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Elena demanded.

"She wanted to know Damon's..." Stefan trailed off, eyeing his brother. He paused, his head tilted. "I just heard the front door slam shut," he finally said, his voice gritty. "She's gone."

"Finally!" Damon said, getting up. "Took her long enough."

"You've been awake this entire time?" Bonnie asked, looking slightly impressed.

Elena went straight towards Jeremy, ignoring everyone else. She brushed his hair aside gingerly_, _checking for bruises.

"Well," Damon stretched, trying to loosen up his arm, "Not this _entire _time. I didn't want her to remember she didn't drug me up with vervain after she staked that last vamp."

"Is the vervain gone from your system?"

"Not yet. It will be." He walked over to Stefan and pulled on the chains, but they didn't break. He sighed in impatience, "I'm not strong enough yet. I need to feed—"

"No," Stefan cut him off. "We'll find another way."

"Now that I'm out of these chains, I can give it another shot," Bonnie offered. She walked over to Stefan and began murmuring phrases under her breath.

Damon watched her for a second before kneeling down next to Elena. He felt Jeremy's pulse and quickly checked for broken bones. "He needs to get to a hospital soon," he said quietly, "But he'll be okay. He hasn't lost any blood."

Elena took a deep breath but before she could speak, Damon turned back to the others. "This may be our only chance to get out," he said, speaking directly to Stefan. "I guarantee all those vamps combined are weaker than Katherine."

"Agreed," Stefan said, tugging on the chains in vain. "And we need to leave before they decide to compel Bonnie or Elena."

Damon frowned, "I know she took Elena's necklace, but—"

"I didn't put vervain in her drink."

Elena stood up, feeling a wave of anger. "Excuse me?"

"I didn't want to add both," Stefan said, not looking sorry. "The sedative might have had an adverse affect to the vervain. I didn't want to risk it."

"Wait," Bonnie said suddenly, looking at Stefan as though she'd never really seen him before. "You _drugged _her?"

"That's right," Elena snapped. "Because he thought I would be _safe. _Isn't that right, Stefan?"

"I—"

"I don't want to hear it," Elena interrupted, her temper flaring. "You had no right to make that decision for me."

"He was just trying to protect you." Damon said, coming to Stefan's defense. Then he paused, "And I'm gonna have words with the history teacher…he let you leave?"

"I jumped out the window," Elena said flatly.

Damon coughed, which may have been to hide his amusement. Stefan looked furious, "You jumped out of the window? Do you have any idea the kind of danger you put yourself in tonight—"

"Don't blame her for coming here," Bonnie interrupted. "I'm the one who called her."

"What?" Elena frowned, "Bonnie, you don't have to take the blame here."

Bonnie took a deep breath, "Yeah, I kinda do...I was scared, Elena. I didn't know what to do. So…I called you."

"What are you talking about?"

"How did you wake up?" Bonnie asked, "Did you hear something…in your head?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it…" Elena trailed off. "That was you?"

"I led you here," Bonnie went on. "There's a spell I know that draws someone to you—"

"So, Katherine was right," Elena said slowly. "She knew…"

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have brought you here, but-."

"It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong," Elena said, glancing at Stefan. "I wanted to be here."

Bonnie sighed, her hand on Stefan's chains. She looked frustrated. "I don't know what's with these."

"Why don't you draw power from the source?" Damon asked, watching her shrewdly.

Bonnie regarded Damon for a second before nodding, "It's worth a shot." She placed both hands on Stefan's chest, exactly where his heart should have been. "_In vinculis etiam audax," _she intoned, closing her eyes. A flicker of flame appeared between her and Stefan, and died just as quickly as it had appeared.

"Try again," Damon commanded, now walking forward so he could stand behind Bonnie. He put his hand on her shoulder. "Again."

"_In vinculis etiam audax," _she repeated, and this time the flame flickered over Bonnie, a bit stronger than before.

"Focus on Stefan," Damon said quietly. "You're getting there."

"I need more strength," Bonnie said, sounding worn out. "Elena…"

"What is it? What can I do?" Elena said, rushing forward.

"Complete the circle," Stefan said, eyeing her. "Hold on to Damon."

Bonnie looked like she was going to pass out, "Just hold on to his hand or something. Hurry."

Elena bit her lip, and reached out, wrapping her own hand around Damon's. He glanced at her, his expression unfathomable. "Go ahead," he said to Bonnie.

"_In vinculis etiam audax,"_ Bonnie said again, closing her eyes. The flame burst out like a light in front of Bonnie and she gritted her teeth, trying to control it. Slowly, the flame moved towards Stefan, but it grindingly came to a halt as it neared the chains.

"The chains are cursed," Bonnie said, starting to shake. "My magic won't penetrate it."

"You can do it," Damon said, suddenly gripping Elena's hand tightly. In that split second, the flame brightened, emitting sparks as it broke Stefan's chains.

Stefan broke free, and knelt over, wincing in pain.

"We did it," Bonnie breathed.

Then she fainted.

* * *

***no worries, there'll be more delena moments coming up in future chapters ;)**


	17. Escape

"So. That went well."

"We're not out of the woods yet," Damon answered. He looked around and smirked, "Literally."

"This is no time to joke around," Stefan snapped, turning around to face them. "Now, we might have escaped from those vampires—"

"Those vampires are dead," Elena interrupted. "Thanks to Bonnie's magic." She turned to smile at her friend, "You're getting really good at controlling your powers."

Bonnie smiled weakly, still looking faint. "It's hard work."

"So is lugging the kid around," Damon said, putting Jeremy gently on the ground. "You'd think he would've woken up by now."

"You said he needed to get to a hospital as soon as possible," Elena protested, looking down at Jeremy in concern.

Damon didn't say anything, moving his arm around almost imperceptibly. Elena frowned, "Does your arm still hurt?"

"Damon needs to feed," Stefan answered, looking tired. "The vervain has weakened him, he can't super speed down to the nearest hospital."

"So what's the plan?" Bonnie asked, looking between the Salvatore brothers. "Because I really don't want to stand around in the woods until Katherine finds us."

"Bonnie's right," Elena agreed. "We need to keep moving."

"I'll take Jeremy to the hospital," Stefan said, taking a deep breath. "I can still run, I'll get there in no time."

"There's no way you're going by yourself," Elena protested. "What if you run into Katherine?"

"I'll go with him," Bonnie volunteered. "If something goes wrong, I can use my powers."

"You won't have any powers if you don't get some rest," Damon snapped. "Stefan, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you the one going on about sticking together?"

"It's the only way," Stefan said, slinging Jeremy over one shoulder.

He held out his hand to Bonnie, who whispered something under her breath before briefly touching Stefan's hand. When she let go, a thin golden light connected them. "Run," Bonnie said. "I'll be connected to you."

"Wait a minute—" Damon started.

"You get Elena to safety," Stefan commanded. "Now." He turned to Bonnie, "Ready?"

"Ready."

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the woods.

"Let's go," Damon said, beginning to walk quickly. "I can't super speed, and I'm not strong enough right now to protect you if Katherine shows up."

"Where are we going?" Elena asked, struggling to keep up.

"You can't go home. She's been invited in," Damon answered shortly, scanning the trees.

"I know that. Are we going to the boarding house?"

"Too risky, it'll be the first place she checks."

Elena sighed, trying to hide her annoyance. "Where then?"

"Alaric's house. You'll be safe there."

Elena didn't say anything for a while, and they walked in silence. "Are you coming too?"

Damon glanced at her, "I'll wait till you're safely inside, then I need to go feed."

"How do you know Katherine won't be waiting for you?"

Damon quickened his pace. "I don't. I'll deal with her."

"Any idea why Katherine is back in Mystic Falls?" Elena asked after a few minutes, looking at Damon out of the corner of her eye.

"Nope. Probably has something to do with Isobel."

"Do you think it was just to kill my—uncle?"

Damon shrugged, "I'm sure that was only part of her plan."

Elena stopped, "Damon, look…about your memories or whatever, I—"

"Keep walking," Damon cut her off, his face darkening.

"No," Elena said firmly, not moving.

Damon turned around to face her, his expression stony. "If you hadn't decided to _escape, _then we wouldn't be in this mess right now, _Elena. _So for just once in your life—"

"Stefan had no right to keep me locked up," Elena hissed. "And he had no right to keep me in the dark about this whole Katherine thing or the werewolf thing or—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture," Damon said impatiently.

"It's his fault that he didn't give me vervain! And it's his fault that my necklace is gone, and—" Elena broke off when she heard movement behind her.

"No vervain? Now, isn't that interesting?"

_Katherine._

………………..

"Are you going to go back for them?" Bonnie asked, glancing around the waiting room. "I can stay here if you want."

"No," Stefan said quickly. He sat down next to her with a brief smile. "We should be here in case Jeremy wakes up."

"Do you think they'll be okay?"

Stefan looked away, "I trust Damon to make sure Elena is safe."

"I didn't think you'd ever put 'trust' and 'Damon' in the same sentence," Bonnie said, watching Stefan carefully. "Not after what we saw tonight."

"Damon is what he is," Stefan answered. "We went through this 145 years ago, and I know none of us want to go through that again."

"Is that what Katherine meant? About history repeating itself?"

"I have no idea," Stefan said shortly. "Katherine prides herself on being cryptic and vague, and it's really a waste of anyone's time to figure out what she means."

Bonnie took a deep breath, "I know that this probably doesn't mean a lot right now, but I know how much Elena loves you. She would never want to hurt you."

Stefan nodded, staring into space. "Thank you, Bonnie. I appreciate you saying that."

Bonnie yawned and leaned back in her chair, "Man, I'm exhausted." She turned to look curiously at Stefan, and lowered her voice, "Don't you need blood or something?"

"That's not important right now. But _you _need to get rest. You used way too much power today, and it needs to be restored in your body."

Bonnie stretched, putting her legs up on a chair in front of her. "Wake me up if anything happens."

"Will do."

''''''''''''''''''''''''

Elena's heart pounded in her chest as she ran for her life. She didn't look back, knowing it would waste precious time.

Suddenly there was a terrible scream, and Elena gasped, clutching her chest as the sound wrenched through the woods.

"No!" she heard Damon shout, and she knew –just like that- it was all over.

Katherine was coming.

The woods went dead silent, and Elena backed away. She couldn't believe it was going to end like this.

For the millionth time, she cursed Stefan for not putting vervain in her drink. Now she couldn't even protect herself from being compelled!

Suddenly, she frowned. Wait a minute...She fumbled with her pocket for a second, before finding what she was looking for.

There was a rustling in the trees, and out of nowhere, Katherine rushed at her, a mere blur. Elena gasped as Katherine appeared in front of her, fangs out, eyes bloodthirsty. "You just made my hunting trip so much more fun, Elena," Katherine said with a laugh.

Elena screamed and tried to run, but Katherine grabbed her. "No one to save you now," she breathed. And with that, she dug her fangs into Elena's neck.

Then, quite suddenly, Katherine staggered back in disbelief. "Your blood-"

Then she fell.

* * *

***this one's a bit easier, but can anyone guess what Elena did? ;)**


	18. Lies

**A/N: **Congrats to everyone who correctly guessed what Elena did :) It is explained in this chapter. Also, thank you very much for all the reviews! You guys are awesome!

* * *

"You injected yourself with vervain?" Alaric repeated, looking bemused. "Well, that was fast thinking on your part, Elena. Did you, ah, manage to stake her?"

Elena shook her head, glancing around the empty classroom. "I didn't have a stake. Besides, she wasn't unconscious or anything...she just couldn't move."

Alaric nodded thoughtfully, "That was a small dose of vervain in the syringe. I'm surprised it filtered through your bloodstream so quickly."

"The important thing is that it worked," Elena said. She took a deep breath, "And I wanted to thank you. For saving my life. And looking after Jenna last night."

Alaric opened his mouth to respond, when the door suddenly opened and Bonnie walked in. She stopped short, looking at Elena and Alaric in surprise. "Mr. Saltzman...I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

"It's okay," Elena said quickly. "I was just telling him what happened last night...how are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks," Bonnie said with a small smile, closing the door behind her. "I guess I just needed to rest."

"I didn't see you at the hospital this morning," Elena said with a frown. "We went early to bring Jeremy home, but Stefan said you already left?"

"Yeah, I don't even remember getting home. But that's where I woke up this morning," Bonnie trailed off, sounding confused. "How is Jeremy?"

"He doesn't remember much, but he's resting."

"At your house? Is it safe?"

"Stefan said he'll be watching over the house today," Elena replied, glancing at Alaric. "He tried to get Damon to do it, but he's not in the best of moods from last night."

"Is he okay?" Bonnie asked, and Elena smiled slightly at the underlying note of concern in her voice.

"Katherine staked him...but she missed the heart."

"On purpose?" Alaric asked, raising his eyebrows.

Elena absentmindedly adjusted the scarf around her neck, making sure the vampire bite was hidden. "I don't know...Damon's pretty pissed about the whole thing though."

"What happened after you drugged up Katherine?"

"I went back to get Damon, but he told me to run to Alaric's before the effects of the vervain wore off Katherine." Elena shrugged, getting up as the bell rang. "He said he needed to find something to feed on, so I left."

"What is he up to now?" Alaric asked.

"Who knows."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"So let me get this straight," the sheriff said, not looking happy. "You're telling me that you _saw _a vampire last night?"

"Yes," Damon said firmly. "I tried to stake her but she was extremely strong…I'd say she was a couple hundred years old at least."

"Been around that long, huh?" the sheriff said, arranging a few papers on her desk. "What do you want us to do about it?"

Damon blinked, "Well, I thought the Founder's Council would—"

"We just had a double funeral, Damon," the sheriff interrupted. "Mrs. Lockwood is still distraught over my deputies throwing the mayor into that burning building, and John Gilbert, well..."

"He got what he deserved?" Damon suggested.

"He put this town in danger," the sheriff said slowly. "But he didn't deserve to die…in any other case, I would have admired his methods. He knew all those vampires had to die and he was willing to do anything to get the job done."

"Did you fire those deputies?" Damon asked suddenly. "The ones that killed the mayor?"

She shook her head, "I have no idea who it was that actually grabbed the sheriff…I was locked in here…"

"Didn't the mayor's wife get a glimpse of who it was?"

"I asked her, but she said it was dark…and in all the confusion, she didn't really pay attention."

"Maybe you should do a lineup," Damon suggested, smiling slightly. "It wouldn't be right for them to get away with what they did."

The sheriff sighed, "Maybe…now, what do you want us to do about this vampire?"

…………………..

Elena let herself into the boarding house, peering into it cautiously. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Stefan flipping through a book in the living room. He looked up in surprise when she walked in. "Elena! What are you doing here? I told you I'd pick you up from school—"

"I know," Elena interrupted, sitting down next to him. "I skipped my last class."

"Okay," Stefan said slowly. "Well, I just put Damon on guard duty over at your house."

Elena nodded, taking a deep breath. "Look, about last night-"

"It's okay, you don't have to apologize," Stefan said, smiling understandingly.

"What?" Elena demanded in disbelief. She got up to face him, and crossed her arms. "Actually, I was going to give _you_ a chance to apologize, Stefan."

"Maybe I shouldn't have drugged you to sleep, but I stand by my actions, Elena. You shouldn't have been out there last night. I don't think you understand how dangerous-"

"I understand," Elena interrupted. "But you couldn't have honestly believed that I'd just sit back and do nothing!"

Stefan got up angrily, "I was just trying to protect you, Elena!"

Elena shook her head, "I know you are, but you can't keep doing this." She walked over to him, and looked him straight in the eye. "How am I supposed to trust you?"

Stefan was silent for a few moments, before he turned away. "I knew this would happen. This was Katherine's plan all along..that whole thing with Damon's memories..."

"Damon? This has nothing to do with him!" Elena grabbed Stefan's arm, "Listen. Nothing happened between me and Damon. We're talking about you and me-"

"I know. I trust you, Elena. It's Damon that I've never trusted. With good reason."

"He saved my life last night," Elena snapped. "Don't blame him for any of this!"

Stefan sighed, sitting back down. "Okay, look. I'm not mad at Damon...I know what Katherine did to him all those years ago. And I know it still haunts him."

Elena bit her lip and sat back down next to Stefan. "Katherine really did a number on him, huh?"

"He loved her. Deeply. He thought it was real, what they had."

"But he understands now, doesn't he? That she was just compelling him?"

"I hope so."

………………

"I don't understand what happened last night," Jeremy said, staring at Damon. "And how did you get in here anyway?"

"The window. And don't act all surprised, I know that's how Anna used to get in here—"

"Don't talk about her!" Jeremy's voice broke. "There were two funerals yesterday for two people that I didn't care about...what about the funeral for Anna? Doesn't she get one?"

"You know that can't happen," Damon said calmly. He sat down on Jeremy's bed, "Vampires don't get funerals."

"How can you say that?" Jeremy said in disbelief. "You're a vampire, too."

"I'm a realist, Jeremy," Damon said with a smile. "I'm not like Elena…I don't always see the best in people. I just see them for what they are."

"So she's the one that turned you? Katherine?"

"Yep. The woman who changed my life," Damon didn't smile. "The woman I loved."

Jeremy didn't say anything for a minute. "I'm sorry. That she didn't turn out to be what you hoped."

"The important thing is, she taught me a valuable lesson. About trusting people."

"What does she want?"

"Only she knows that," Damon answered, getting up. "But don't worry, I'm getting the Founder's Council to take her down."

"_The Founder's Council?_ You're still talking to them? After what they did to Anna? _To you?_"

Damon shrugged, "I blame your uncle for what happened. And he's dead."

"You _trust _them?"

"I don't trust anyone, Jeremy. But the sooner Katherine is gone, the better. She's got some personal vendetta against Elena, and it's not safe for any of us while she hangs around Mystic Falls."

Jeremy nodded, and looked up at Damon. "Thanks for keeping me in the loop. I wish Elena did."

Damon paused on his way out the window. "Be easy on her. She's just trying to protect you."

"I know," Jeremy said quickly.

Damon looked back at him, "Now, go do your homework before I tell the history teacher that you're slacking off."

"Wait—" Jeremy hesitated, "Do you love her?"

Damon raised his eyebrows, "That was a very long time ago, Jeremy. I couldn't care less what happens to Katherine now."

He leapt out the window, landing softly on the ground. He had just begun to leave when he heard Jeremy say, "That's not who I meant."


	19. Full Moon

"This needs to change," Elena said, looking at everyone in the room. "Stefan, you can't keep missing school-"

"It's only been two days," Stefan interrupted. "Besides Jeremy should be able to go back to school tomorrow. That way I only have to watch over your house at night."

Damon grinned, lounging on the sofa. "Maybe you should just get a guard dog,"

Stefan shook his head, annoyed. "Damon, this is serious. Quit joking around."

Damon sighed, getting up to put himself a drink. "Alright, look. The issue here is Katherine. Once she's gone, so are all our problems." He smiled, raising his glass to Elena. "See? Nothing to worry about."

"And what? You're going to stake her yourself?" Bonnie demanded.

Damon leveled her a look, "I talked to the sheriff yesterday. She's going to call a meeting with the Founder's Council tomorrow."

Elena frowned, "How is that going to help?"

"You're underestimating them, Elena," Damon answered, sitting on the arm of her chair and leaning towards her. She moved backwards slightly, glancing at Stefan. Damon grinned and got up, winking at her. "Who knows, maybe they even have more of Johnathan Gilbert's handy little gadgets."

"You think there's _another _invention?" Alaric asked, looking between Damon and Elena.

Damon shrugged, "You never know." He turned to Bonnie, "Was there anything more in the spellbook?"

"Not that I've found so far," Bonnie said, pulling the book out of her bag.

"And what about John Gilbert's ring?" Alaric said. "No one ever found that?"

"Well, Katherine definitely has it," Stefan answered. "We don't know who she's planning on giving it to, though."

"It would be ideal if Jeremy could have it," Damon said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should go over there and have a look through her house…"

"No," Elena said firmly. "It's too dangerous."

"Worried about me?" Damon asked, grinning as he sat next to her again. Elena rolled her eyes, but she didn't move.

"And what about vervain? She still has Elena's necklace, doesn't she?" Alaric interrupted.

"I've been drinking some every morning," Elena answered, glancing at Stefan.

Damon raised his eyebrows at Elena, "Still haven't forgiven him for that?"

"The point is," Alaric continued, speaking over Damon. "We still need to figure out _why _Katherine is here..."

"Wait a second," Bonnie said, "What about those chains in her basement?"

"Kinky little witch, aren't you?" Damon asked, smirking in Bonnie's direction.

"Ignore Damon," Elena said quickly, shooting an apologetic smile at Bonnie. "He likes to make people uncomfortable."

"What about the chains?" Stefan asked seriously.

"Well, they had some sort of spell on them, didn't they?" Bonnie said slowly. "I mean, I couldn't use my powers when I was chained to the wall. That's why Katherine unchained me to do the spell. And that's why I had so much trouble getting Stefan out of them."

"You know," Alaric said thoughtfully, "That's a good point. How did Katherine manage to put a spell on the chains?"

"Maybe they were from back in the day," Elena suggested. "And she kept them…"

"Or she had another witch put the spell on them recently," Damon said, frowning.

"What about your witch friend in Georgia?" Elena asked.

Damon shook his head, downing his drink. "She's dead. I killed her."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. Stefan frowned, "Well, do you think Katherine got in touch with her before you killed her?"

"It's a possibility," Damon mused. He turned back to Bonnie, "Why are you so interested?"

"I was just thinking, maybe there's a spell to _uninvite _a vampire from someone's house…It would make things a lot easier for Elena."

"If there was, then it won't be in your spellbook," Stefan said to Bonnie.

"But such a spell _could _exist," Bonnie insisted. "Right?"

"It could," Damon replied. "It would have to be a powerful witch who knew it, though."

Bonnie sighed, looking out the window. "It's getting late, I should probably get going." She gathered her things, and paused. "Wait, who's looking after Jenna and Jeremy now?"

"Jenna said she was having a night out with one of her friends," Alaric replied. "I told her I'd pick her up when she was done."

"And Jeremy is hanging out at Matt's house," Elena added with a smile. "Matt offered to hang out with Jer for a while. I think they bonded over video games or something."

Bonnie opened the door and Damon suddenly stood up, "Wait a second. Is tonight the full moon?"

Bonnie peered outside, "Yup."

Damon swore, grabbing his jacket. "I was supposed to keep an eye on Tyler." He swung an arm around Bonnie, "Come on, I'll drive you home."

"Wait—" Elena started.

"Bye Elena," Damon called, shutting the door behind him.

…………………

"Get your hands off of me," Bonnie said, shrugging Damon's arm off.

"Okay, okay, no need to be rude," Damon said, lifting both hands up in mock surrender. "I was just trying to be nice."

He opened the car door for her and Bonnie got in, shaking her head. "_Actually_, you were trying to make Elena jealous."

Damon raised his eyebrows, "You think I _need _to make Elena jealous? Please, I think my wit and charm are _more _than enough to get her attention…"

Bonnie rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly in response. Damon glanced at her, "I knew I could get a smile if I tried."

"Don't try to be all cute with me," Bonnie replied, resolutely staring out the window.

"Ah, so you admit I'm cute?"

"Damon," she warned. He grinned, but didn't push it. After a few minutes, Bonnie said suddenly, "Hey, you don't know how I got home last night, do you?"

"I think Stefan said he brought you home," Damon replied, pulling into her driveway. "Ever the gentleman, my brother is."

Bonnie frowned, confused. "But he's never been invited in...how did I end up inside?"

"Why does it matter?"

"I need to know," she insisted. "I don't remember anything after falling asleep at the hospital."

"I'm sure it's nothing," he replied, uninterested.

Bonnie bit her lip, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was missing something important. "Fine," she said, distracted. "Thanks for the ride."

"Wait," Damon said, as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Look, I haven't forgotten that you have saved my life. Multiple times by this point." He turned to face her, and for once his expression was serious. "If this is something you're worried about, then I'll try to find out what happened."

Bonnie met his gaze, and nodded her appreciation. "Thanks. But you don't owe me anything. I think we're pretty much even by now."

"Then how about I help you for another reason?"

"And what reason would that be?" Bonnie asked suspiciously.

Damon raised his eyebrows and held out his hand, "Friends?"

Bonnie hesitated, but shook his hand after a second. "Friends," she agreed.

…………………..

"How was your night out, Aunt Jenna?" Elena asked, sitting on the couch next to Stefan.

Jenna smiled, walking into the living room with a tray. She handed a cup of tea to Alaric before setting it on the table. "It was fun," she admitted. "I haven't had a lot of time lately to just…relax."

Elena smiled and Stefan nodded. "It's important to kick back sometimes," he said, exchanging a look with Alaric.

Jenna turned to Jeremy, "And how are you feeling today? Are you sure you don't want some tea?"

"I'm fine," Jeremy answered. "Hanging out with Matt was…actually a pretty good time."

"I'm glad," Jenna replied, leaning back. Alaric put his arm around her and she smiled at him. "You know, how do you kids feel about just watching a movie or something tonight?" She glanced at her watch, "It's not too late yet…"

"That would be great," Stefan said, "Should I get a dvd?"

"We have a bunch in that drawer," Jenna said, pointing with the remote as she turned on the TV.

"_AND IN BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT—"_

Everyone froze, turning to look at the TV.

"TWO OF MYSTIC FALLS' VERY OWN POLICE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN FOUND DEAD."

"Good god," Alaric breathed, leaning forward as the camera panned over two bloody bodies.

"EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THEY APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN MAULED BY A LARGE ANIMAL…"


	20. Real

Elena took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock at the door. However, at that very moment, Damon flung it open, in the process of pulling on his jacket. He stopped short when he saw her standing there.

"Elena," he said, with a smile. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, effectively blocking her entrance. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Um, is Stefan here?"

"Nope," Damon answered nonchalantly, not moving. "He's at school." He leaned towards Elena conspiratorially, "And shouldn't you be there, too?"

Elena leaned back slightly, ignoring Damon's smirk. "Stefan's not there. I thought something must have happened..."

Damon raised his eyebrows, "Little bro is skipping school, huh? I'll have to talk to him about that." He glanced at Elena, "He didn't ask you to go with him?"

Elena shrugged, looking down, "I wouldn't expect him to."

"Well, well…trouble in paradise?"

"No," Elena snapped, getting annoyed. "You know what, never mind. I shouldn't have come here—"

"Wait," Damon said, his voice losing its sarcastic edge. "Do you want to come in?"

Elena stared at him suspiciously, but he merely moved aside. "Thanks," Elena said slowly, closing the door behind her. She looked him over, "Are you going somewhere?"

"I was just about to head off to the Council meeting," Damon replied, walking into the living room. He took a seat in the armchair, and she sat down across from him. He stared at her briefly, watching as she twisted her hands together nervously. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Any news about Tyler?"

"He didn't kill those people last night, if that's what you're asking."

"What?" she demanded. "I thought they said it was a large animal—"

"Oh, they were right about that. But there's no way it was Tyler."

"So you found him last night?"

"Yup," Damon answered, getting up to pour a drink. "After I dropped Bonnie off, I swung by Tyler's house and listened in for a while. He and his mother were both home."

Elena frowned, "Do you think it was Katherine then?"

Damon shook his head, "I checked out the crime scene late last night after I heard what happened. It was definitely an animal of some sort."

"How do you know?"

Damon sat back down across from her, swirling his drink thoughtfully. "A vampire attack usually leaves its victims drained of blood, as you should know." He paused and added, "And of course there would be bite marks."

Elena swallowed, "And what did the bodies look like?"

Damon shrugged, "Pretty much ripped to shreds. The animal was clearly pissed."

"Do you think it was…personal?"

Damon grinned, lounging back. "You know, Stefan doesn't give you nearly enough credit, Elena. Yes, I do think it was personal."

"You think it was the mayor," Elena stated. "He turned into a werewolf and attacked the two cops that put him in that burning building."

"Seems reasonable to me."

"We never found out for sure whether or not he died in that fire," Elena mused. "Did you check out his grave site?"

"Nope, I was planning on making a graveyard trip later today if you're interested," Damon replied, downing his drink.

"What else did you do last night?" Elena asked suddenly. "After you found those guys in the woods?"

Damon didn't answer for a second, looking confused. "Why?"

"Stefan said you never texted him to tell him what happened."

"It was a long night," Damon replied, getting up.

"You're avoiding the question," she accused, walking towards him. "You went to see Katherine, didn't you?"

Damon didn't back away, but he looked surprised. "Well, I didn't exactly _see _Katherine, but—"

"I knew it!" Elena exclaimed, her frown deepening. "We told you it was too dangerous to go over there by yourself! What if she had been there?"

"Well, she wasn't," Damon said, sounding offended. "I just dug around her house for a bit…tried to find a reason she's sticking around Mystic Falls."

Elena sighed, placing a hand on Damon's arm. "Look, I understand why you're still obsessed with her, but that was all a _really _long time ago, Damon. You need to get over her…"

"Obsessed," Damon repeated flatly, removing her hand from his arm. He made his way towards the door, "I didn't know I had a meeting with my therapist today, Elena."

"No, wait," she said, hurriedly blocking his path. She took a deep breath, "Look, Damon. I'm just trying to tell you that _I understand."_

Damon crossed his arms, "You understand what, exactly?"

"Why you're…still in love with her," Elena faltered, noticing Damon's darkening expression. "And it's okay," she continued quickly. "Stefan told me about how she compelled you guys into loving her and all that, so it's understandable—"

"She didn't compel me," Damon hissed, leaning towards Elena. "It was real for me. I loved her." Abruptly, he leaned back. "And now I'm over it."

He reached out for the door, but Elena grabbed his arm, "Wait."

"What is it now?" he snapped, whirling around to face her.

Elena took a step back, but steeled herself. "I'm not saying you're still in love with her," she tried again. "I'm just saying…there must be something in your subconscious that still wants her on some level…which is why I understand why you did what you did."

"What?"

Elena bit her lip, "You know what I'm talking about."

Something changed in Damon's face, and his expression took on an almost dangerous quality. He began moving toward her, and she involuntarily backed away until she was pressed up against the wall. "Enlighten me, Elena," he said, placing an arm on either side of her so she couldn't escape. He leaned in, until she could feel his breath on her face. "Say it."

"I'm talking about the kiss," she finally bit out, meeting his gaze squarely. "That night, after Founder's Day…" She trailed off, but he didn't say anything. "Katherine told us after that whole memory spell," she muttered.

Damon didn't move, and Elena shifted. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" Damon asked suddenly, a glint in his eye. "Because it's not my intention…"

"Yes it is," Elena said, resisting the urge to punch him in the face. "You live to make people uncomfortable."

"Would you like to know what other memories I have of you, Elena?"

"N-no," Elena stammered. "Look, it wasn't right for Katherine to violate your privacy like that. I know what she did was wrong—"

"How about when you were sitting in the graveyard, writing in your journal?" Damon interrupted, watching her carefully. "Perhaps you remember a certain crow?"

Elena frowned, confused. "A crow? That—that was you?"

Damon cocked his head, "Scared of me yet?"

Elena clenched her jaw. "No," she said firmly. "You're not a bad person, Damon…"

"Well then," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear, "Maybe I should tell you about how many times I sunk my fangs into Caroline's neck—"

"Stop it," Elena demanded, and Damon pulled away, smirking. "I know you didn't say it to me, but that doesn't make it less true…" She looked up at him, "I do believe _you're worth saving." _

Damon looked shocked for a second, his smirk disappearing. "You're welcome," she added softly.

Damon still didn't move, and they stood like that for a few moments, his face inches away from hers. She felt her heart start beating rapidly, and saw Damon's eyes drift down, almost as if he heard—and then she had to remind herself that obviously he had heard. "I should…probably go now," Elena said, and Damon looked at her, his expression uncertain.

"I got something last night at Katherine's," he said finally, and reached into his pocket.

Elena stared as he pulled out a chain and held it up to her. "My necklace," she gasped. "You…went back for that?"

Damon shrugged, "I know how much it means to you." He eyed her for a second before slowly reaching around her to clasp the necklace around her neck.

He rested his hands on her shoulders when he was done, and Elena touched the pendent absentmindedly. "Thank you," she said quietly, meeting his gaze. "It means a lot."

Damon nodded, and slowly pushed her hair back. She shivered, whether because his hands were cold or because she was nervous, she didn't know. He brushed a thumb gently over her lips and then without warning leaned in and carefully kissed her on the cheek. "I wanted it to be real," he said quietly and pulled back to look at her. His gaze lingered on her lips, and Elena suddenly knew what he was going to do. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to move away and she watched as he moved closer, her heart thudding painfully.

He leaned in to kiss her, when suddenly the door flew open. Stefan stood there, his eyes flitting between them. "What's going on?"


	21. Grave

"I was just giving Elena's necklace back to her," Damon said briskly, stepping away from Elena and moving towards the door. "Where have you been?"

"I was tracking Tyler," Stefan said slowly, "Where are you going?"

"Council meeting," Damon said, glancing at his watch. "And I'm going to be late." He super sped away, leaving the door open.

Stefan shook his head and shut the door, turning to face Elena. "I hope Damon wasn't bothering you..."

"No," she said quickly, giving him a hug. "I just got here a few minutes ago. I was worried about you. What happened?"

"I was on my way to pick you up this morning when I passed by Tyler's house," Stefan explained, leading her into the living room. "He was having an argument with his mother, so I stopped and listened in for a while."

"Hope Tyler's not suspicious with you guys watching his house all the time," Elena said, biting her lip.

"Damon and I know how to blend in," Stefan said with a smile. "But the point is, he left soon afterwards—"

"To go to school?"

"That's what I thought, but then I saw him heading over towards the woods…"

"So you followed him?" Elena demanded. "But that could've been dangerous!" She frowned, "And what could he possibly be doing in the woods?"

"That's what I wanted to know," Stefan answered, "It looked like he was heading over to the crime scene."

"Really? Damon said he checked out the bodies last night—"

"I know," Stefan interrupted. "He told me this morning when we switched shifts."

"Shifts?"

"Watching over your house," Stefan explained. "He got back early this morning from…" he trailed off, gazing at Elena's neck. "Katherine's house. Did he go by himself?"

"I guess so," Elena said impatiently. "But that's not important right now. What happened with Tyler?"

Stefan shrugged, "I watched him walk around the woods, and then I followed him back to school. Then I came here."

Elena frowned, "What do you think he was doing at the crime scene? Weren't the bodies gone?"

"Yeah, but…" Stefan hesitated. "Werewolves have a keen sense of smell. It's possible he was…well…"

"That's impossible. He hasn't even transformed yet!"

"Not to our knowledge," Stefan corrected.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"What do you mean the vampire isn't important?" Damon asked in disbelief. "I don't think you understand the consequences—"

"I understand perfectly," the sheriff interrupted, looking tired. "But we all examined the two bodies, and neither were drained of blood. Which means we actually have some sort of large animal roaming around Mystic Falls."

"And what exactly do you think this animal is?" Mrs. Lockwood asked, pacing back and forth. "Do you think it only comes out at night?"

"My team is looking into it right now," the sheriff replied. "The footprints were large, unlike what we have seen before."

"And what about the way the officers were killed?" Damon asked, crossing his arms. "Anything suspicious there?"

"It was certainly a vicious attack," the sheriff replied, flipping through her notebook. "It was almost as if the animal was more interested in the kill than in the hunt."

"Do you think this is related to the vampires at all?" Mrs. Lockwood questioned. "I mean, do you think this animal is…some sort of creature of theirs?"

Damon frowned, "You think the vampires are controlling a monster of some sort?"

"It could be possible," the sheriff said seriously. "We don't know what they're capable of." She turned to Damon, "Maybe this even ties back into that vampire you were telling me about."

"Maybe."

"What's the plan?" one of the officers said, slapping his gun against his palm. "Are we gonna get revenge on this creature?"

The sheriff sighed, looking around the room. "We'll send out a hunting party tonight," she said finally.

"What are the orders?"

The sheriff leaned on the table, her head down. When she looked up, her expression was determined. "Shoot to kill."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"It's gonna be a bloodbath," Damon said, tossing the shovel into the air and catching it with one hand. "They are a bunch of morons."

"It doesn't sound like you tried to stop them," Stefan replied, grabbing the shovel out of Damon's hands and walking ahead.

"Why would I do that?" he said unconcernedly.

"Could you maybe show some emotion for like two seconds?" Elena snapped under her breath.

Damon glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "Okay, look. It would've been suspicious if I wasn't all gung-ho against this creature like the rest of them. As far as they're concerned, this creature is out to get everyone in Mystic Falls because it's being controlled by the vampires—"

"What?" Stefan demanded, stopping to face Damon. "You didn't mention that."

Damon shrugged, taking the shovel out of Stefan's hands and entering the graveyard. "Didn't I? I must've forgotten."

"Wait," Elena said, frowning. "Is that possible? Are the werewolves connected to the vampires?"

"Anything is possible," Damon said, nodding ahead. "There's the mayor's gravestone."

"Freshly dug up," Stefan noted, taking the shovel away from Damon. "Someone has been here before us."

Elena frowned, and crossed her arms against the chill of the cemetery as they watched Stefan dig. Before long, there was a thud as the shovel hit something metal. "Here we go," Damon said, handing the shovel to Elena. "Stand back." Elena retreated and watched as the Salvatore brothers cranked open the coffin. "Well, that's great," Damon said, peering in.

"What do you see?" Elena called, crouching down.

Stefan looked up at her, "It's empty."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Elena tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. Every time she finally drifted off, she would awake gasping for air a few seconds later.

_You think about me even when you don't want to think about me…_

_Doesn't it always come down to love of a woman?_

_You and I...we have something...an understanding…_

_I wanted it to be real. I'm trusting you._

"You can trust me," Elena mumbled.

Stefan watched her, perched on the tree branch outside her room. There was a flurry of noise, and he looked next to him to see Damon. "Ready for the shift change?" Damon asked, looking bored.

"Tell me," Stefan said, not taking his eyes of off Elena. "What did you guys talk about today when Elena came by the boarding house?"

Damon frowned and glanced into Elena's room. It appeared she was talking in her sleep. Damon cocked his head, listening. "_Trust me…"_

"Nothing of importance," Damon answered, "Why?"

"As you can see," Stefan said, his eyes narrowing, "Elena isn't having a very good night of sleep."

"Oh, and you think that's my fault?" Damon asked, pretending to be offended. "Five minutes alone with your poor, depraved brother, and she's having nightmares."

Stefan sighed, "That's not what I meant."

"That's what it sounded like," Damon said shortly. "Now, go get some sleep. You have school in a few hours and I'm not letting you skip again."

"Fine," Stefan replied, glancing once more into Elena's room. "Be careful."

Damon nodded, and watched as his brother vanished into the night. He turned back to look at Elena, who suddenly bolted upright in bed, clutching her chest. She looked around the room, and then flopped back down, covering her face with her hands.

_There's a part of you that feels for her..._

"Get out of my head," Damon muttered.

"But that's what I do," a voice answered.

Damon whirled around, vamping out. He looked around frantically, before his gaze landed on a figure sitting in the tree above him.

Katherine smiled, her fangs glistening in the moonlight.


	22. Nightmare

"I've been waiting for you," Katherine commented, swinging her legs on the tree branch. She smiled down at him, "You and Stefan are so predictable…having a little schedule over who gets to keep Elena safe…It's sweet, really."

"What do you want?" Damon hissed, crouching into a protective stance. Behind him, both vampires could hear Elena tossing and turning. She murmured something in her sleep, and Damon caught the word 'trust' escape her lips again.

Katherine laughed lightly. "Don't worry, lover boy. I'm not here to kill Elena." She peered around him, "Though I would _love _to..."

"Don't come any closer," Damon warned. "And don't even think about giving her any nightmares—"

"She's wearing vervain. I can't get into her head," Katherine interrupted with a smile. "Tell me, was Elena pleased you gave her back her necklace?"

Damon didn't answer, and cocked his head, trying to listen. It would be just like Katherine to keep him distracted while her minions tried to get into the house. "I came alone," Katherine said, reading his mind. "I just wanted to talk."

Damon raised his eyebrows, and reverted back to human form. He leapt lightly to the ground, and Katherine followed suit. They circled each other for several seconds, as Damon assessed the situation. "So you came all the way out here…to talk?"

Katherine smiled, retracting her fangs so that her resemblance to Elena was striking. "There's a witch hunt going on in the woods right now, in case you didn't know."

"Is there?" Damon asked. "I hadn't noticed."

"They're looking for whatever killed those two men last night."

"Should I inform them that the murderess is in front of me?"

"You know very well that it wasn't me," Katherine replied calmly. "I would never leave such a messy scene." She licked her lips, "Such a waste of human blood."

"Agreed," Damon replied, narrowing his eyes. "So what do you think it was?"

Katherine rolled her eyes, "Please, Damon. You and I both know what the creature is."

Damon crossed his arms, "Oh, do we?"

"I would be careful, if I were you." She met Damon's gaze squarely, "Werewolves are smarter than your average monster." With that, she blew Damon a kiss and disappeared into the night.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Elena gripped the edge of her bed with one hand, and her pillow with the other. _I just want to wake up, _she thought desperately. It was one those dreams where she _knew _it was a dream, but she just couldn't open her eyes. Images flashed across her mind's eye…her and Damon dancing, Damon holding her face in the rain. She thrashed in her covers, becoming tangled in them. She could almost _feel _the raindrops on her skin…

"Elena! WAKE UP! _Elena!" _Someone shook her roughly, and Elena finally wrenched open her eyes. She awoke with a gasp and bolted upright in bed—and opened her mouth to scream when she saw a dark figure standing next to her.

A hand clamped her mouth shut immediately. "_Elena! _Just calm down. It's me."

The hand slowly released her, and Elena fumbled with her lamp switch. A dim light lit the room, and Elena turned to see Damon standing there. "What the hell?" Elena demanded in a whisper. She glanced towards her door, making sure it was shut. "What are you _doing _here?"

"Katherine is here," he said, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "I just saw her."

"_She's here?" _Elena asked in disbelief. "What does she want?"

"She just wanted to talk, apparently." Damon eyed her, "What happened? Were you having nightmares?"

Elena pulled the covers up to her chin, frowning. "You were watching me?"

"I didn't have to _watch_ you to hear you talking in your sleep."

Elena's eyes widened, "What did I say?"

"Something about trust," Damon replied, picking lint off her bedsheets. "Care to tell me what you were dreaming about?"

Elena shook her head, "It was weird. I couldn't…wake up." She fingered the chain hanging around her neck, "But no one can get in my head right?"

Damon nodded, but he looked distracted. "The vervain will stop a vampire from invading your dreams."

Elena waited, but Damon didn't say anything else. "So, what did Katherine want to talk about?" she prompted.

Damon stood up abruptly, "She was talking about the werewolf, and how there's a hunt going on tonight."

"I was wondering about that," Elena replied, getting out of bed. "How come you didn't go with them?"

Damon raised his eyebrows, "Then who would look after you? Stefan needs to sleep, too."

"Right," Elena said, frowning. "You know, we should really try to find that spell to get Katherine uninvited from my house—"

"I'm working on it," Damon interrupted. "Now get dressed."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Does Stefan know about this?" Elena demanded, crossing her arms. It was a chilly night, made all the more haunted by the deserted streets and the distant sounds of the hunt.

Damon smirked, "Do you honestly think my brother would approve?"

"Where are we even going?" Elena sighed as Damon began leading them towards the cemetery. "Damon?"

Damon strolled into the graveyard, heading straight towards the mayor's gravestone. He crouched down, examining the soil with a frown. "This site hasn't been touched since we were here earlier."

"Okay," Elena shrugged, not seeing what the big deal was. "Can we go now?"

Damon grinned and placed a finger under her chin, "Patience, dear Elena."

At his touch, Elena's mind instantly flashed back to the dream…_Damon touching her face in the rain_…_his hand on her waist as they danced…_and she flinched away, startled. Damon looked at her in surprise, slowly lowering his hand. "What's wrong?"

"It's," Elena swallowed, trying to still her nerves, "Nothing."

"I could hear your heartbeat from a mile away," Damon frowned. He put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Tell me, Elena. What's—" he broke off, his head tilted.

"What is it?" Elena demanded. Damon turned towards the woods, his body stiffening. Then she heard it, too.

A howl.

Screaming.

Gunshots.

Damon grabbed her hand, "Do you trust me?" Elena opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. He came closer, gripping her tightly. "_Do you trust me?" _

"I...yes," Elena said finally. "I trust you."

"Good." With that, he lifted her into his arms in one quick motion. And ran.

"What—!" Elena gasped as the world began to fly by her. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Damon's neck, burying her face into his chest. Then, just as quickly as it had started, it stopped.

She cautiously opened her eyes, and Damon gently placed her on her bed. Elena stared at him open mouthed. Even at this distance, they could still hear the screams. "Oh my god," Elena whispered. "What's going on out there?"

"Forget about that," Damon said briskly. "Give me your necklace."

"What? Why?" Elena demanded.

"Have you been ingesting vervain?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then _give _me your necklace!"

"No!" Elena stood up, her hand closing around the pendant. "Why do you want it?"

"Elena, just listen to me!" He grabbed her wrist in anger, and Elena gasped as her mind was flooded with images. _This nice act...is any of it real? Have fun with the Mystic Queen..I know I did.._

"ELENA!"

"What-what's going on?" she said groggily, looking around in confusion. "Why am I on the floor?"

"You passed out," Damon's face swam into her line of vision, very close.

She reached out to touch his face. "You're all blurry," she mumbled. She suddenly felt a sharp pain around her neck. "Hey!" she protested, when she realized Damon had ripped the necklace off. "What are you doing?"

Damon swept her up, and deposited her on the bed. Then he held the necklace up to the light, examining it. His face was serious, "I think we have a problem."

* * *

***any guesses? ;)**


	23. Bury Me Alive

"Sorry I'm late," Alaric called, heading through the boarding house where he found the rest of the gang seated in the living room. "I stopped at the hospital."

"How is everyone?" Elena asked, concerned. Stefan squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. Damon looked distinctly annoyed and got up to pour himself a drink.

"Not good," Alaric said tiredly. "There were six people in the hunting party last night, and they were all attacked by the _beast of Mystic Falls, _as they're calling it—anyway, when they were taken to the hospital, none of them were in critical condition."

"What happened?" Stefan asked, sensing there was more to the story.

Alaric looked grim, "Four of them have died."

"My god," Elena breathed, sitting upright. "How?"

"It would appear," Alaric said slowly, "that the werewolf bites are poisonous."

"Poisonous?" Bonnie asked, looking confused. "I've never heard of that."

"There are many legends about werewolves," Damon began, "A popular myth is that the bite will cause the victim to become a werewolf too, however…"

"In this case it seems to be more of a genetic link," Stefan finished, glancing at his brother. "We spent the day reading up on the folklore."

"Yes, I noticed that none of you were in school today," Alaric said with a rueful smile. "Though, nearly half the town spent the day in the hospital waiting room, so that doesn't really matter."

"It wasn't safe," Damon said shortly. "Katherine is still on the prowl, as I told you on the phone."

Alaric nodded, "You mentioned something about the necklace being cursed?"

Damon carefully pulled the chain from his pocket and placed it on the table. They all stared at it for a second. "Now you're absolutely sure that this is Elena's necklace?" Alaric asked. "Katherine didn't switch it for a duplicate or anything like that?"

"I'm pretty sure it's the same one," Elena said, reaching out to touch it.

"Don't," Damon said sharply. "We don't know what kind of spell is on it."

"So, what's the plan?" Alaric asked, glancing at Bonnie.

"I spent the day looking through Gram's spellbook," Bonnie replied. "I found a couple of spells that could help us out."

"One of them is a fairly simple spell," Stefan said, leaning forward and picking up the chain. "It'll tell us if the necklace is, in fact, cursed."

"What's the other spell?"

"That one is a bit harder," Bonnie replied, showing Alaric the spellbook. "It can show us _who _placed the curse on the necklace, if there is one."

"And then you'll know who's helping Katherine," Alaric said slowly.

"Then we can use her to kill the bitch," Damon relished.

"Slow down," Stefan warned. "First the spells have to actually work."

"Ah, brother. Ever the ray of sunshine."

Elena smiled slightly, and Damon grinned in her direction. Bonnie rolled her eyes, "Ready to get started?"

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

They all stood in a circle in the living room, with the fire crackling behind them. Bonnie sat on the floor, with the necklace sitting on the table in front of her.

"Are you sure you can do this yourself?" Elena asked worriedly.

Bonnie smiled briefly, "This is the simple spell." She closed her eyes, and a slight breeze stirred her hair. She placed her hand over the necklace, "_Erasum veneficus," _she said strongly. The fire behind them flickered slightly, throwing everyone into shadow.

Nothing happened.

Bonnie frowned, "If there was a curse, then the necklace would have reacted—" she broke off as the necklace emitted a tiny spark.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked, beginning to walk forward.

"Get back!" Bonnie cried, as the necklace suddenly burst into flame.

"What the-!" Alaric broke off as the flames leaped, causing all of them to jump back.

Bonnie shut her eyes tightly, extending her hands towards the fire. Someone grabbed her arm, and she looked next to her to see Elena. "Remember the spell you used to save Damon from the burning building!" Elena shouted. Bonnie nodded and began reciting it frantically.

She started to shake from the effort, and Elena gripped her arm even more tightly. Slowly the flames began to recede before finally disappearing completely.

Bonnie opened her eyes to see everyone staring at her in varying degrees of shock. "Can you stand?" Damon's voice asked from a distance…or was he right next to her? Bonnie frowned, confused.

Then she fainted.

When she came to, Elena was hovering above her. "Oh thank god," Elena said, turning to look at Stefan. "She's awake."

Bonnie sat up, feeling drained. Alaric raised his eyebrows, "I thought that was supposed to be the easy spell."

"It was," Bonnie answered defensively. "I didn't realize…that would happen."

"Is it safe to touch the necklace?" Damon asked, watching her carefully.

"The curse should be gone," Bonnie said. She reached over and picked up the necklace, turning it over in her hand. "The spell was meant to identify a curse and get rid of it, if necessary." She opened the clasp, and a burnt smell rose into the air. "You'll need to fill it with new vervain, though."

"Here," Alaric reached into his bag and took out a small pouch of vervain. He filled the necklace and swiftly clasped it around Elena's neck. She touched the pendant, remembering the last time someone had put the necklace on her. She glanced at Damon, who was watching her with a strange expression on his face.

"Feel anything?" Stefan asked, his brow furrowed.

"Leave that to me," Damon said, smirking. He grasped Elena's hand and held it up to his heart..or where his heart should have been. "Anything?"

Elena had flinched when he touched her, expecting the whirlwind of images to hit her. However, after a second, she relaxed. "Nothing happened," she said with a smile. She turned to Bonnie, "You did it."

Bonnie smiled faintly, "I'm glad it worked."

Alaric crossed his arms, "Now, no offense but I don't think you're strong enough to perform the second spell."

"Let her rest," Damon interrupted. "Then we'll decide. In the meantime-" he broke off, frowning.

Stefan stood up at the same time, and both brothers looked at each other. "What is it?" Elena demanded.

Then she heard a creak from upstairs.

"We have company," Stefan said quietly. "Alaric?"

"Two steps ahead of you." Alaric hastily took out a stake and a pile of vervain darts from his bag, and quickly handed them to everyone as the footsteps grew nearer.

Damon moved so he was standing in front of Elena. "Vampires usually don't make so much noise," he commented, "Not unless..."

"Not unless they want to be heard," a voice said sweetly, and Katherine stepped into the living room, flanked by four large vampires.

"Katherine," Damon growled, "I should've known."

"Did you like the little curse I put on Elena's necklace?" Katherine asked delicately. "I'm sure she had the most _vivid _dreams, didn't you?" she peered around Damon to look at Elena.

Elena crossed her arms and didn't respond. "I knew you would come get the necklace, Damon," Katherine continued. "I warned you last night...you and Stefan are becoming boringly predictable."

"We're not-" Stefan began.

"I knew you and Damon would come to rescue the witch and the brother," Katherine said with a smile. "And I knew Elena wouldn't be able to _resist _saving her two lovers..."

"What was the point of bewitching the necklace?" Damon demanded.

"Part of my plan," Katherine replied, her voice growing cold. "And my, my, it certainly seems to have tired out your little witch friend."

Elena turned to look at Bonnie, who was struggling to keep standing. Katherine grinned, and sauntered over to Damon. He hissed, vamping out. In a blur of motion, she tore the vervain dart out of his hand and hurled it at Stefan-who looked extremely shocked as he passed out.

Alaric raised his stake, but the four large vampires converged on him, ripping the stake out of his hand. Elena screamed, and Katherine grabbed her throat, slamming her into the wall. Damon was on her in an instant, but suddenly he gasped, his face returning to human form.

"Damon?" Elena choked out, but he just stared her. She looked down in horror to see a stake sticking out of his chest. He fell to the ground, and didn't move.

Katherine slammed her into the wall again, and Elena cried out. "You're only as good as your weakest link," Katherine hissed. She moved aside and Elena watched, horrified, as the vampires snapped Alaric's neck. "Take his ring," Katherine said loudly. She smiled at Elena, her fangs glistening. "And take the witch."

* * *

***don't freak out just yet :P**


	24. Blood Ties

**A/N: **so most of you didn't listen and freaked out :P haha but thank you very much for all the reviews, it's really an inspiration to keep writing :) on a side note, i've gotten a few people asking me why damon and elena haven't "hooked up" yet, so I just want to say that this IS a Delena story at heart, but the show itself deals with a lot more storylines and plots besides the love triangle, which is why I'm including stuff like witchcraft and werewolves in this story. that being said, damon & elena's connection is definitely a crucial part to this story, and will steadily become more obvious. that is all, **enjoy!**

* * *

Elena slowly opened her eyes, and looked at her surroundings with a frown. She raised her head, only to feel a blinding pain.

"You don't want to do that," a voice said. Damon stepped into her line of vision, "That's a pretty big bruise on your head, courtesy of Katherine."

"What—" Elena started, wincing as she tried to get the words out. Her hand automatically went to her throat, which felt raw.

"Shh," Damon said, his sarcastic façade slipping off his face for an instant. "Don't try to talk."

"Where am I?" Elena mumbled, feeling the bed beneath her.

"My room," Damon answered, handing her a glass of water.

She took a sip, and felt her muscles work in agony to swallow it. "I c-can't," she coughed, her fists clenching the bedsheets. "It hurts." She sat up gingerly, gasping in pain as her head started pounding. "What happened?" she asked slowly, meeting Damon's gaze. "Wait…I saw you…you died…"

"Missed the heart," Damon said, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "I don't know if she told them to miss on purpose or they just had really bad aim." He shrugged, "In either case, she left without me."

Elena stared at him. "But you're okay," she said slowly.

"By the time I woke up, she was gone," Damon said, his eyes darkening. He turned to look at Elena, his face serious. "She took Bonnie."

"_What?" _Elena began to get out of bed, but Damon pushed her back down, his face set. "We need to save her!"

"I know," Damon said in a calm voice, "But first we need a plan."

"Alaric!" Elena suddenly exclaimed. "She said she was gonna take his ring! And Stefan—"

"Stefan is fine," Damon interrupted. "He went hunting to get the vervain out of his system. And Alaric is fine, as well."

Elena blinked, "How?"

"Katherine might think we're predictable, but she didn't know what else I took from her house that night," Damon answered. He smiled at Elena's look of confusion. "John's ring," Damon explained. "She wouldn't have put a spell on it because she needed it for someone else."

"You gave it to Alaric?"

Damon nodded, "He went out to get some supplies, but he'll be back here soon."

"What do you think she wants with Bonnie?" Elena asked nervously. "Do you think she'll hurt her?"

"Not if Bonnie does what she asks."

"Which would be what? Another spell?" Elena frowned. "I don't get it. Why does she need Bonnie to perform spells for her when Katherine obviously has some other witch working for her? I mean, who else could have put the spell on the necklace? It has to be someone close by, right?"

Damon shook his head, "I don't know, Elena. But we'll figure it out." He stood up, and walked to the door. "Now, I gotta go meet the teacher and Stefan so we can decide what to do. You just stay and get some rest—"

Elena tried to move, but her head sent a searing pain down her entire body and she froze as tears sparked in her eyes. Damon was by her side in an instant. He placed a hand gingerly on her head. "Elena? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No," Elena protested. "That'll take too much time—"

"You're in pain," Damon said angrily. "No excuses."

"The hospital already has their hands full with the werewolf attacks," Elena pleaded. "It'll take forever to get help."

Damon opened his mouth to argue, when he met Elena's gaze. "Oh, I don't think so," he snapped, figuring out what she had in mind. "Stefan would never allow it."

"Stefan's not here," Elena said determinately. "You know I'm right! I'm not going to stay here while Bonnie's in trouble! And in order to that, I _need _to heal..."

"I'm not doing it Elena," Damon said firmly. "If this is what you really want, then you can ask Stefan—"

"You know Stefan would be perfectly happy to leave me here!" Elena retorted. She bit her lip, "Please, Damon? I'm asking you as...your friend."

His jaw was clenched, "Elena if you get killed…you know the consequences."

Elena took a deep breath, "I know."

Damon moved closer to her, a range of emotions flitting across his face. Gently, he placed one hand around her neck as he bit into his wrist and slowly placed it near her lips.

She glanced at him once, and saw the conflict in his gaze. He didn't want her to do this. She steeled herself and lowered her lips to his wrist and drank, feeling his blood run through her veins.

Too soon, she felt Damon pull her back. "That's enough," his voice sounded far away. "You're healed."

She felt his wrist leave her lips, and she turned to look at him in amazement. "Wow," she breathed. She leapt out of bed, and looked in the mirror. Every bruise was gone. "This is…amazing."

Damon didn't look happy. He blurred and stood behind her. She met his gaze in the mirror. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and stepped closer. She automatically leaned into him, closing her eyes. "My blood won't leave your system tonight," he said softly. "If you get killed…you _will _become a vampire."

"I know," Elena said, turning to face him. She smiled slightly, "But I trust you."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"You _fed _her your blood?" Alaric said in disbelief. "Why would you do that?"

"It wasn't his fault," Elena said quickly. "I made him."

Alaric shook his head, but didn't press the issue. "Alright, look. I stopped by my place and picked these up," he held out his palm to Damon.

Damon raised his eyebrows, "Silver bullets?" He picked one up and examined it. "What's your plan?"

Alaric stared into the fireplace thoughtfully. "How strong do you think this werewolf is?"

Damon shrugged, "It's a fully grown werewolf, so pretty strong I'd say...why?"

"Strong enough to take down a vampire?"

"Wait a second," Elena protested, "You're going to use the mayor to kill Katherine? How are you going to control it?"

Alaric turned to Damon, "I was hoping you could use your Compulsion on it."

Damon frowned, "I've never tried to compel a werewolf before..."

"What if it doesn't work?" Elena demanded. "Then all we have is one pissed off werewolf..."

Alaric took a small object out of his bag. "It's a frequency emitter," he explained. "If Damon can't compel it, then all we have to do is hit the right note, and the werewolf will go down."

"But so will Damon and Stefan," Elena pointed out.

Alaric hesitated, "That's a risk we'll have to take. If it does come down to that, then at least we'll have the silver bullets so we can kill it for good."

"But hopefully it _won't _come down to that," Damon said pointedly. He loaded the gun while Alaric packed the rest of the supplies in his bag, "Ready?"

"Ready," Alaric confirmed. "We're meeting Stefan by the woods?"

Damon nodded, letting Alaric lead the way out of the house. He motioned to Elena to fall back, and waited till Alaric was some distance ahead. "What is it?" Elena asked, frowning.

"Alright, look," Damon began in a low voice. "Stefan won't be happy if he finds out I fed you my blood—"

"I know," Elena replied, not meeting his gaze. "I wasn't planning on telling him."

Damon glanced at Alaric and then subtly handed Elena the gun. "Your safety comes first, Elena. If anything goes wrong, shoot it."

Elena slowly reached out and took it, weighing it in her hand. She swallowed and placed inside her jacket. "I will."

* * *

***reviews please :)**


	25. Trust

"Now, let's just get one thing straight," Damon announced as the three of them stood at the edge of the woods. "The werewolf can't kill me, because I'm already dead." He pointed at Alaric, "And it can't kill you because of the ring."

He then faced Elena, "But a poisonous bite _will _result in your death, and will therefore result in Stefan blaming me for this whole mess…So, do me a favor, and do your best not to get killed?"

Elena smiled, "I'll try, Damon."

"Good," he rubbed his hands together. "Now where is this brother of mine?"

Alaric glanced at his watch, "He's been hunting for a long time…"

Elena frowned, "Do you think something happened?"

Damon pulled out his cell phone, and quickly dialed Stefan's number.

No answer.

"That's weird," he muttered, peering into the woods. "It's going straight to voicemail."

"Maybe we should just get started," Alaric suggested. "The longer we wait here, the more time we waste."

Damon hesitated, glancing at Elena. "Are you okay with that?"

She sighed, not happy with the decision. "I guess it's better than standing around and doing nothing," she admitted.

"That's my girl," Damon said, putting an arm around her waist. "Just stay close to me, and you'll be fine." Elena rolled her eyes, but she didn't pull away.

Alaric shook his head, walking ahead of them. "Any ideas?"

"You're the bait," Damon called to him. "The werewolf can't smell me." He turned to Elena and grinned, "One of the perks of being a vampire."

Alaric suddenly realized why Damon was hanging onto Elena. He wanted his scent to mask her human scent, so the werewolf wouldn't go after her. Alaric hid a smile. Damon sure knew how to use a situation to his advantage.

"Hey, Mr. Saltzman?"

"What is it, Elena?" Alaric called back, not turning around.

"I was just thinking…you said your device emits a bunch of different frequencies, right?"

"That's right."

"So, couldn't you technically use a certain frequency to _call _the werewolf to you? Sort of like you'd call a dog?"

Alaric turned to face her, surprised. "You know, that's a pretty good idea. What do you think, Damon?"

Damon still had his arm around Elena's waist, but he let go of her suddenly. He turned around, frowning at something that the rest of them couldn't see. "Stefan?" he called, walking a few steps in the direction they had come from.

There was no reply.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked. "Did you hear Stefan?"

"I heard…something," Damon said, trying to concentrate. "I thought it was Stefan…but maybe not."

"For all we know, the werewolf is watching us right now," Alaric said in an undertone. He took out his device and held it out, "I'm going to turn it and run through a range of frequencies. Hopefully one of them will call the werewolf to us."

"One second," Damon said, looking up at the tree next to them. In a blur of motion, he picked up Elena, clamping her mouth so she wouldn't scream. Within an instant, he was standing next to Alaric again. "Okay, I'm ready."

Alaric blinked and looked up at the tree, where Elena was now sitting. She looked shocked, and was staring at Damon with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "Nice move," he said to Damon, indicating Elena.

"I try," Damon replied, smirking.

Alaric shook his head, and turned the device on, slowly moving the handle to higher and higher frequencies. He glanced at Damon, who hadn't been affected yet.

Suddenly, there was a howl.

And it was very close.

"Get ready," Alaric whispered, starting to move back.

There was a crunch of leaves, and Damon heard footsteps padding towards them. He heard Elena's sharp intake of breath as the werewolf appeared in front of them, eyes gleaming, and razor sharp teeth glistening.

"Not the best looking creatures, are they?" Damon muttered to Alaric.

"Get on with it," Alaric hissed, eyeing the animal.

Damon crouched, staring into the werewolf's eyes. "_You're going to help us," _Damon said smoothly, his eyes dilating. "_You're going to kill a vampire for us." _

Damon waited, but the werewolf didn't move. "_And now you're going to obey every command we give you." _Damon stood up slowly, and turned to Alaric. "Think it worked?"

The werewolf growled, and began moving towards them. "Uh, I don't know…" Alaric said, taking another step back.

All of a sudden, the werewolf raised its head and let out an ear-splitting howl.

Then it leaped.

"It didn't work!" Alaric shouted, as the werewolf knocked him down with a thud. The frequency device went flying and landed out of reach.

"Yeah, I can see that!" Damon shouted back, leaping onto the werewolf's back to pull it off of Alaric.

The werewolf threw him off with ease, and Damon landed hard against a tree. Alaric tried to get up, but the werewolf whipped around, ramming into Alaric and sending him flying.

He landed some distance away and didn't move.

"Great," Damon muttered, as the werewolf growled and turned its attention back to Damon. He slowly began getting up, when suddenly the werewolf moved with astonishing speed. It bent down and grabbed something in its mouth before swiftly leaping at Damon.

Damon shouted in shock as something pierced his chest, and he looked down to see a tree branch sticking out of him. Damon winced in pain as he slumped back down against the tree. The last thing he saw was the werewolf advancing on him, its teeth inches away from his face.

Then everything went black.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Please wake up! _Damon!" _

Damon shook his head, feeling someone shaking his shoulder. A smooth hand touched his face, and Damon slowly opened his eyes. It took him a minute to realize that the face hovering above him was Elena, and not Katherine.

"Elena?" Damon tried to get up, wincing at the sharp pain in his chest.

"I pulled the branch out," Elena said worriedly, her hands gesturing towards his chest. "Was I supposed to?"

Damon tried to smile, and sat up against the tree. "Yeah, you did good." He looked at Elena, and his gaze landed on the massive creature behind her. No, make that massive _dead _creature behind her.

Elena looked behind her to see what he was looking at. "Oh yeah," she said shakily. "The werewolf is dead."

"Dead," Damon repeated, eyeing the creature. He shifted, gritting his teeth at the pain. "And how exactly did it become dead?"

"I, um, shot it…like you told me to…"

"_You _shot it?" Damon asked in disbelief. "From up there in the tree?"

"Well, it was going to kill you!" Elena said, shuddering. "I didn't know if it had staked you in the heart or not, but Alaric wasn't moving, and I figured it would come after me next…so I took out the gun you gave me, and…killed it."

Damon raised his eyebrows, "I didn't know you had such good aim."

Elena looked guilty, "Yeah, actually…I don't." She moved aside, and Damon saw Alaric still lying on the ground, next to the werewolf. "I accidently shot Alaric," Elena admitted.

Damon laughed, not because the situation was funny, but because of her rueful expression. "Don't worry about it," Damon said with a grin, "He'll heal real soon. He might give you an F in his history class though…"

Elena shook her head, but her lips curved upwards with a small smile. Then she took a look at him, and her expression sobered. "Can you move?" She put his arm around her shoulders, and they both stood up slowly.

Damon doubled over in pain almost immediately, and Elena struggled to keep them both standing. "I can't do it," Damon hissed, staggering away from her and falling to the ground.

Elena stared at him, clearly at a loss for what to do. He suddenly got an idea. "Hey, bring that werewolf carcass over here, would you?"

She looked from him to the werewolf, an expression of growing disgust on her face. "Ugh, you are _not _going to drink the werewolf's blood!"

Damon rolled his eyes, "Hey, it's a supernatural creature, too—"

"It's the _mayor," _Elena emphasized. "I'm not letting you drink from it!"

"You're the one that killed the _mayor," _Damon mimicked back, but he grinned slightly. "I'm proud of you, Elena. That took guts."

Elena took a deep breath, and knelt down next to him. "Yeah, so does this." She held out her wrist and placed it at his lips. "Go ahead. Drink."

Damon looked at her in disbelief. "Absolutely not," he snapped, trying to push her hand away.

"No, you need blood," Elena insisted. "We're going up against Katherine. You need _human _blood." She forced her wrist at his mouth again, shivering when she felt his teeth graze her skin.

"Elena…" Damon hesitated.

"No, it's okay," Elena said quietly. "I trust you."


	26. Redemption

Alaric couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. "You _fed _HIM _your _blood?" he demanded.

"You don't have to make it sound so dirty," Damon said, looking like he was hiding a smirk.

"It was my idea," Elena said hastily, moving her arm further up her sleeve so that Alaric couldn't see her wrist. "Besides," she took a deep breath, "I was just returning the favor."

"I'm sure," Alaric said, his eyes flitting between Damon and Elena. "Anyway, I don't think I need to remind you that _your boyfriend _is currently missing, and Katherine still has Bonnie, and there happens to be a dead werewolf in front of us, and—"

"Man, you need to take a chill pill," Damon said, clapping Alaric on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I have a plan."

"Do you?" Alaric replied, crossing his arms. "And what would that be?"

Damon walked over to the werewolf and casually kicked it, as though checking if it was really dead. "I'll call the sheriff and tell her that I singlehandedly killed the beast." He smiled briefly at Elena's look of indignation. "Hey, I need to get back on the sheriff's good side. If she finds out that I killed the monster that's left all those people dead, then she'll owe me a favor."

"And then what?" Elena asked, "You're going to ask the council to go after Katherine?"

"No," Damon answered thoughtfully. "We'll leave the council out of this one. But it's always good to have someone owe you a favor…" he trailed off, looking significantly at Elena.

"We're even now," Elena warned. "You gave me your blood, and I gave you mine."

"Yes, we are even," Damon agreed. "For now." He pulled out his cell phone, and began walking away. "Hello? Sheriff?"

Alaric and Elena stood in the clearing, both staring down at the werewolf. Elena cleared her throat, "Um, so I wanted to apologize..."

"For what?"

She offered a weak smile, "I didn't mean to shoot you. It's just that...everything was happening so fast, and-"

"I guess I should be getting used to it," Alaric responded drily. "I've been killed more times than I can count since I met Damon."

"Damon does have a way of changing things," Elena replied vaguely.

Alaric studied her. She was standing stiffly against a tree, her arms crossed, and her expression tense. "You know you're making a deal with the devil, right?" Alaric said suddenly. "That whole blood exchange thing..."

"Her decision to make," Damon said sharply, appearing by her side. Alaric noticed that Elena's whole body immediately relaxed, and the tension slid off her face. "The sheriff will be here soon," Damon added.

"I'll go see if I can find the frequency device," Alaric said, "I wouldn't want anyone else to find it."

Damon nodded, and watched as Alaric disappeared into the woods. He turned to Elena with a smile, "You don't think I'm the devil, do you?"

"Of course not," Elena said sarcastically. "Just a self-serving psychopath."

"Ouch," Damon said, putting his hand over his heart. "Consider this psychopath's feelings hurt."

Elena grinned, remembering the banter from a previous encounter. "Hey, at least I left out the other part," she said, confident that he wouldn't know what she was talking about.

"Oh, you mean the bit about 'no redeeming qualities'?" Damon asked, raising his eyebrows. "Has your definition of me changed, then?"

"You...remembered," Elena said, surprised.

Damon met her gaze for a second before he smiled slightly, "Of course I remembered." He sat down against the tree, and patted the ground next to him. "Vampires remember everything."

Elena took the hint and sat down, wrapping her arms around her legs. Damon glanced at her before throwing an arm around her shoulders casually, "Hey, quit with the brooding act. You're turning into Stefan."

"Aren't you worried about them?"

"Everything will work out," Damon said, shrugging. "Besides, you're hanging out with _me. _The better, hotter, more _fun _brother, remember? What could possibly go wrong?"

Elena grinned. She knew he was putting on a show to make her feel better, but she appreciated it all the same. She automatically snuggled into him, and felt him tighten his arm around her in response. She sighed and looked up at the sky. The moon was slowly waning, and she found herself thinking about when the next full moon would occur.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Elena asked, watching the stars twinkle innocently down on them.

"Beautiful," Damon agreed quietly. If she had looked at him, she would've noticed that he wasn't looking at the sky.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Now, if you ever need anything," the sheriff said, getting into the driver's seat, "You be sure to let us know."

"Sure thing," Damon said, waving as the van drove away.

"Does everything always work out the way you want it to?" Alaric asked, staring at Damon in bemusement.

Damon shrugged, glancing at Elena. "Depends on how you look at it."

"I think our first priority is finding Stefan," Alaric said, beginning to walk deeper into the woods. "He couldn't have gotten far..."

"Has it occurred to you that Katherine has him?" Damon asked, not following Alaric. "Because in that case, it's the two of us against _her." _

_"_The _three_ of us," Elena corrected, tossing Damon a glare. "You're not leaving me behind, or sticking me in some tree this time-"

"We've discussed this before," Damon said loudly, talking over her. "You're not allowed to die tonight. Got that?"

"_Damon_-"

"_Elena_," he matched her tone of voice, grinning when she sighed in exasperation. "Look, I understand, okay?" Damon said quietly. "But, you need to understand that Stefan will kill _me_ if you become a vampire. And I have no desire to die. Again." He smiled at her winningly, "I like being a living dead person."

"Well I'm not letting you guys go in alone," Elena said, crossing her arms. "Katherine took us all out within five seconds last time. We _need _a plan."

"Yeah, too bad the werewolf plan didn't work out," Damon said listlessly. "It was definitely strong enough to maybe hurt Katherine. A little bit, at least."

"Forget about the werewolf," Elena said, pacing back and forth. "We need something else. Something to give us an advantage."

"Like what?" Alaric asked. "She's got the upper hand in strength. The only thing we had going for us was Bonnie's magical edge. And now that's gone too."

"Ugh, you're starting to sound like Stefan," Damon grumbled. "Always so defeatist."

"When we first met, you told me you were a fatalist," Elena reminded him, smiling slightly.

Damon raised his eyebrows, "So I did." He grinned back at her, "I'm surprised you remembered that. Did Katherine make you relive that moment in one of your magically induced dreams?"

"Actually, no." Elena shrugged, "I remembered on my own."

"Could you two walk down memory lane at some other point?" Alaric interrupted. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're pretty much in a lose-lose situation here."

"We need someone to help us," Elena offered. "Any ideas?"

"How about Tyler?" Damon said. "I could provoke him, maybe force him to transform?"

"Too risky," Alaric said dismissively. "There's no way we could control him, and besides we don't know if he's ever transformed before."

"How about the other witch that's helping Katherine?" Elena asked, looking at Damon. "Maybe you could force her to help us?"

"Only problem is that there's no way of us figuring out who that was," Damon reminded her. "Katherine stole Bonnie away before she could perform the spell to figure that out."

"Then how about some other vampires?" Elena said, her voice taking on an edge of desperation. "Surely you have to know some other ones who owe you a favor or something-"

"Yeah, right," Damon said, laughing.

"Okay, then..." Elena bit her lip, thinking. "I guess I have an idea, but I can pretty much guarantee that you guys aren't going to like it."

Alaric sighed, slouching against a tree. "Honestly, any idea would be a good idea right about now."

Elena glanced nervously at Damon before continuing, "How about I pretend to be Katherine?"

"No dice. Next idea," Damon said promptly, turning away.

"Damon-"

Damon blurred and in an instant he was two inches away from her face. "That idea goes very strongly against the whole you-_not-_getting-yourself-killed-tonight thing, so I'm gonna have to veto it," he hissed, his eyes glittering dangerously. "I don't care who Katherine has captured, and I don't care who she's torturing. You are NOT going to do something so risky. _End of story_."

"Well, well, it's true. Damon Salvatore _actually _has feelings," a cold voice said.

Elena whirled around, and Damon stepped away from her in surprise. But neither of them were as shocked as Alaric.

"Isobel."


	27. Dangerous Game

"Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events?" Damon smirked as he circled around Isobel, much like a predator would stalk its prey. "Miss me too much?"

Isobel raised her eyebrows, "Not everything is about you, Damon."

"No," Damon agreed. "But it usually is."

"What are you doing in town?" Alaric demanded, his voice pained. "I thought you said you would never come back!"

"I wasn't planning on it," Isobel admitted, her eyes flickering to Elena. "But under the circumstances..."

"Oh, you mean Katherine kidnapping my boyfriend and my best friend?" Elena snapped, fury radiating from her voice.

"Or did you mean the part where Katherine murdered John Gilbert? You know, Elena's father?" Damon asked, watching Isobel carefully.

"You...knew?"

"No thanks to you," Elena said cooly.

Isobel's face tightened, but she quickly composed herself. "As you know, Katherine often dispenses of humans she no longer has a use for."

"Seems to me that she dispenses of _vampires _she doesn't have a use for either," Elena replied, her arms crossed. "What makes you think she won't turn on you?"

Isobel smiled, "I'm too useful to her. She would never—"

"Don't fool yourself into thinking you know her," Damon interrupted. "Katherine only acts for herself."

"She still loves you, you know," Isobel said with a smile. "You and Stefan."

"That's too bad," Damon replied carelessly. "Because we've both moved on."

Isobel smirked, purposely looking at Elena. "Yes, well, you haven't moved _too _far, have you?"

In a blur of motion, Damon had Isobel pinned to the tree, his hands around her throat. "You either help us get Stefan back, or I will stake you myself," Damon growled, tightening his grip.

"Let her go," Alaric said loudly, and Damon slowly released her, his eyes flashing with anger.

Isobel straightened herself off, looking annoyed. "For the record," she turned to Alaric, "I don't need you to save me." She turned back to Damon, "I'll help you rescue your little friends. On one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"I haven't decided yet," she smiled, her eyes narrowing. "Deal?"

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Looks like stage 1 went as planned," Damon said under his breath, as he and Elena watched from the woods. Isobel had marched up to Katherine's house, with a "caught" Alaric in tow. She had told the four guards that Alaric had been planning an attack and that she had caught him just in time. They had a hearty laugh about it before allowing her to take him inside to face the wrath of Katherine.

Right now, Alaric and Isobel would be "taking care" of the guards inside the house. Their advantage was that all the guards were newly turned, meaning that they wouldn't notice Elena's heartbeat-after all, they had just seen another human (Alaric) enter the house.

Now it was Elena's turn.

She shifted nervously and Damon glanced at her in concern. "Hey, look at me," he said quietly, "You can do this. It'll be fine."

"What if they don't believe me?" Elena whispered. "I'm not anything like Katherine! Maybe this was a bad idea..."

"Shh," Damon said comfortingly. "Have a little faith in yourself." Damon smiled, and his hand brushed her cheek. "I know I do," he added softly.

Elena bit her lip and stood up straight, trying to arrange her facial expression into one that was cold and calculating. "Do I look like her?"

Damon frowned, looking her over. "Put your necklace in your pocket. That way you'll still be protected from Compulsion, but they won't get suspicious."

Elena obeyed, smiling tentatively. "Any other tips?"

"Remember, Katherine is a bitch," Damon warned. "Don't follow your human instincts or emotions. Katherine won't care about who she hurts, as long as she benefits from it."

Elena took a deep breath, "Okay, got it." She squeezed his hand, "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Damon said, crouching behind the tree as he watched her approached the guards.

.

Elena sashayed up to the guards, trying to look bored. "Would you like to explain to me how that man managed to sneak up on you?" she demanded.

The guards immediately stopped talking to each other, looking at her in surprise. "Katherine! What are you doing out here?"

"I just finished killing that idiot history teacher. He has ruined too many of my plans. He needed to die," Elena drawled. "If it wasn't for Isobel, then you would all be dead!"

"We didn't realize he was out there," one of the guards said quickly. "Sorry."

"Clearly," Elena said coldly. There was a sudden _crack _in the woods, and all the guards immediately looked in that direction. "One of you go check that out," Elena ordered.

"Yes, Katherine," the guard who had apologized quickly volunteered himself and disappeared into the woods. Elena watched him go, knowing that Damon would be waiting with a stake.

"Has the vampire broken yet?" one of the three remaining guards asked and Elena frowned, trying to figure out what he was talking about. "Oh, Stefan?" she swallowed nervously, trying to remain calm. "No, he's a tough one to crack. I'm working on it, though."

Suddenly, there was another _crack _in the woods, and Elena whirled around. "You should go see what's happening," she commanded, and another guard ran off.

Two guards remained. After a couple minutes, she suggested, "Maybe you two should go find out what happened to your friends."

The guards paused, looking at each other. When they turned back to her, their gazes were suspicious. "I thought you said that this door should never be left unguarded?"

Elena's heart skipped a beat, "Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

The vampires started walking towards her slowly. "But you said never to leave it unguarded," one of them repeated.

It took all of her resolve to not back away. "Are you disobeying my orders?" she demanded.

One of the guards sniffed, his eyes becoming bloodthirsty. "Do you smell that, Rex?" he asked the other vampire. "Smells like human blood around here..."

Elena took half a step back, her eyes widening. At that moment, she heard a voice behind her. "So, what does a guy have to do to get a good fight around here?"

Damon walked out of the woods casually, his eyes glinting. "I took care of your two buddies," he grinned. "Who's next?"

Both of the guards stopped, and looked at Elena questioningly. "Well?" one of them prompted. "You said that if Damon ever showed his face here, you'd stake him yourself!"

"I didn't...bring a stake," Elena faltered.

Rex handed her a stake with a grin, "He's all yours, Katherine." In an instant, they both grabbed Damon and flung him so he staggered before catching his balance in front of Elena. The guards positioned themselves on either side so there was no escape. "Go ahead," Rex urged, his eyes glowing red. "Kill the traitor."

_Don't follow your human instincts or emotions. _Elena felt her heart start accelerating rapidly. They were going to notice she was human if she didn't do something fast. Damon's face was blank, and Elena realized—he actually thought she was going to stake him! Elena almost smiled at the ridiculousness of that statement. She closed her eyes, trying to channel Katherine. _You can do this. _

She smiled coldly, and ran her hand down Damon's chest. "Did you think you could get away from me?" she hissed, grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards her.

Damon's eyes widened with shock. She brushed her lips across his neck, and kissed his cheek lightly. "I always get what I want, Damon," she whispered, as the two guards laughed evilly. She ran both her hands through his hair, before roughly pulling him towards her.

Using one hand to unbutton his shirt, she wrapped her other arm around his neck so their faces were inches apart. "And I know you want me too," she breathed, and in one movement, crushed her lips against his.


	28. Betrayal

**A/N: **in case I don't get a chance to send out individual messages, THANK YOU soo much for all the reviews and feedback! i'm so happy you guys are enjoying reading this story just as much as I'm enjoying writing it :)

* * *

Damon thought that after 145 years of being a vampire, life would cease to amaze him.

He was wrong.

He wasn't exactly surprised that Isobel had shown up—Mystic Falls had a certain draw to it…it seemed like the supernatural just couldn't stay away. Nor was he surprised that Isobel was helping them. She was getting something out of it at the end (exactly what she wanted, he didn't know) but the fact remained that there was a benefit in it for her.

Hell, he wasn't even surprised that Elena had managed to fool the guards into thinking she was Katherine. The vampires were young and careless, and wouldn't notice trivial details.

But Damon just hadn't foreseen the strength of Elena's ability to mimic her doppelganger. The fluidity of her movements, the flawless way she had spoken, the fire in her eyes…all were very, very much like Katherine.

It was scary.

The minute Elena's lips touched his, Damon nearly staggered back in utter shock. But she seemed to predict this, and kept one of her hands twisted in his hair, while her other arm wrapped securely around his neck, molding their bodies together.

He could feel her heart pounding wildly against his chest, and vaguely wondered why the other vampires couldn't hear it. When he opened his mouth to kiss her back, he felt her heart stutter in response.

Damon discreetly opened his eyes to check if the two vampires had left yet.

They hadn't.

They were eagerly watching the show that Elena had put on for their benefit. Damon kept kissing her, knowing it would look suspicious if she had to come up for air. How long were those two planning on standing there anyway? Getting an idea, Damon slid his hands around Elena's hips, pulling her closer.

Elena opened her eyes, and Damon tried to signal what he wanted her to do. He slid his hand down to her leg, and she got the hint. He lifted her slightly and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. Damon held her close, and she gasped as he tightened his grip on her.

"Looks like she wants to kill him the old fashioned way," Rex said with a laugh, as he began walking away.

"Think she'll stake him while they're having sex?" the other vampire said loudly.

"You know Katherine," Rex returned, looking amused. "Come on, let's go find something to snack on in town."

The other vampire nodded his assent, and they both super sped away. Damon waited half a second to make sure they were really gone, before he pulled away from Elena and gently set her down.

She fell to the ground, gasping for air. Damon stared down at her, unable to believe what had just happened. "Elena…"

"Don't…say…anything," she said, clutching her chest as her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. "Oh God," she lay back on the ground, breathing hard. "That was the worst experience of my life."

"You sure know what to say to a guy, Elena."

"No—" she sighed, sitting up. "That's not what I meant. You were—," she broke off, heat rising in her face.

Damon sat down next to her, smiling slightly. "If it makes you feel better, you're a hell of a kisser."

"Not funny," Elena said, her voice slowly returning to normal. "I panicked…they were about to figure out that I wasn't Katherine—"

"You should panic more often," Damon smirked. He bumped her shoulder flirtatiously, "I liked it." Elena rolled her eyes, but her lips curved upwards in a smile.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Katherine leaned lazily against the wall, watching her handiwork. Stefan was chained to the wall, fangs out and eyes red. Slowly dripping blood next to him was the dead human girl that Katherine had brought back from town. She had put up quite a struggle, until Katherine had swiftly strangled her to death.

The girl hadn't been drained—Katherine was waiting for Stefan to make that move.

Already, he was close to breaking point. "Stop fighting it, Stefan," Katherine called. "If you don't feed, then you'll starve to death."

"I'd rather die," Stefan growled, his arms straining against the chains.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "So melodramatic." She turned to face Bonnie, who was cowering in the corner. "No need to be afraid," Katherine grinned. "I'm sure Stefan won't attack _you." _

Bonnie glared at her, "I'm not afraid. I'm _disgusted."_

Katherine shrugged, not letting the insult affect her. "You wouldn't understand, Bonnie. The strength of human blood is a powerful thing...and the affect it'll have on Stefan will be—"

"A disaster!" Bonnie interrupted angrily. "You weren't around the last time he touched human blood! He can't handle it!"

Katherine cocked her head, interested. "Well, I'll just have to teach him to handle it, won't I?" Then she paused, hearing a creak from upstairs. "Rex?" she called, knowing her favorite guard would heed her call in an instant.

There was no response.

Katherine frowned, suspicious. She had just begun to take a step towards the stairs when suddenly Damon Salvatore appeared in front of her. He looked wildly around the room, his gaze falling on Stefan. "You bitch," Damon hissed, grabbing Katherine's throat.

Katherine blurred, throwing him off easily so he landed in front of Stefan. She grinned, her hips swaying as she walked towards him. "I hope you weren't too hurt by that stake, Damon. I told them to miss the heart."

"I guess I should thank you for that," Damon answered sarcastically, struggling to stand back up.

"I would never hurt you," Katherine purred, her nails running down his chest. He grabbed her hand, looking startled. Katherine frowned at him as he stared at her, looking confused.

At that moment, Elena came down the stairs with Alaric and Isobel in tow. "What's going on?" Elena asked, her eyes darting between Katherine and Damon.

"Nothing," Damon said, dropping Katherine's hand.

"Isobel?" Katherine demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"I caught them outside your house," Isobel responded cooly. "They had already killed all the guards."

"_All _the—" Katherine started in disbelief.

"Elena..." Stefan groaned suddenly, his chains clinking against the walls. "What are you doing here?"

She whirled around and gasped, "Stefan! Oh my god—Katherine, you can't do this to him! He'll fall off the wagon again!"

"So I've heard," Katherine said coldly. She raised her eyebrows, "I didn't know humans healed so quickly, Elena."

"What?"

Katherine narrowed her eyes, "Not a single bruise on you. It's impossible. Isn't it, Stefan?"

Stefan stopped struggling, dismay washing over his face. "You—you drank from Damon?" he asked, his fists clenching.

Elena flushed.

Stefan growled, his eyes fixated on Elena. Katherine vamped out, appearing next to Stefan. "All that blood rushing to your face Elena, it's quite...intoxicating," she grinned. With a flick of her wrist, she broke Stefan's chains.

"No!" Bonnie yelled.

Several things then happened simultaneously.

Isobel grabbed Alaric and Elena, throwing both of them behind her. She crouched in a protective stance, hissing.

Katherine's mouth dropped open in surprise at Isobel's switch in loyalty, and she grabbed a stake—no one betrayed her and got away with it. She sped towards Isobel, stake raised vindictively in her hand.

Bonnie screamed as Damon leapt to meet Stefan, their bodies clashing in the air.

And someone walked down the stairs slowly, pausing at the bottom and looking at the scene in front of him.

He caught Bonnie's eye, and her expression morphed into relief.

Tyler.

* * *

***shocked? :)**


	29. Consequences

"_What the hell?" _

His words weren't profound, nor were they particularly awe-inspiring. But they had the desired effect.

Everyone froze in place and turned to gape at him in open-mouthed disbelief. Tyler stared back at the scene before him, which was strangely suspended in time.

"_Tyler?" _Elena finally gasped. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Tyler frowned, trying to clear his head. "I don't know—but I heard this, like, ringing in my head…and I just couldn't stop myself from coming here." He paused and looked around, "Where exactly am I, anyway?"

Katherine turned slowly to face Bonnie, amazement etched on her face. "You _called _one of your friends here? To _die? _How very stupid of you—"

"I can't believe I'm about to say this," Elena said angrily, "but I agree with Katherine! Bonnie, _what_ were you thinking?"

Tyler slowly walked towards Bonnie, still looking confused as to what he was doing. Isobel snapped, "For heaven's sake! Take the spell off of him!"

"Not yet," Bonnie said calmly. "Not until he's done his part."

"What's wrong with you?" Elena demanded, brushing by Katherine to stare at her best friend. "You can't just treat people like this! You can't treat them like—like they're your personal toys! That makes you no different from Damon!"

The minute the words were out of her mouth, she bit her lip in regret. She turned to face Damon, who was staring back at her stonily. "That's right, Bonnie," he said coldly. "You wouldn't want to become a cold hearted killer like me, would you?"

"I didn't mean that," Elena said desperately. "Damon—"

Bonnie had gotten up, her arms free of the chains that Tyler had removed. His eyes were oddly blank as he stood slightly in front of Bonnie, facing the room. "Don't you dare compare me to a vampire, Elena," Bonnie warned. "I called Tyler here because I didn't know if you would be coming! The last time I saw you guys, Alaric was dead, Damon was staked, and you were being choked to death!"

"That's a good point," Alaric muttered to Elena. "She couldn't have known that we were all alive…"

"But, that's no excuse!" Elena took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "How are we going to explain this to him?"

"I'll compel him," Damon answered, no longer restraining Stefan, who had reverted back to human form.

"Won't work," Bonnie said briskly. "Compulsion doesn't work on werewolves."

Katherine was standing in the middle of the room, looking positively furious. "Enough!" she shouted. "Isobel, you _will _pay for your betrayal. No one double crosses me and gets away with it!"

Alaric's gaze dropped to the stake Katherine was holding. She noticed and smiled, letting the stake fall to the ground. "I'm not a fool," she hissed. "I won't kill her now." She blurred and appeared in the middle of Damon and Stefan. "I'll kill her when she least expects it."

She turned to Stefan, launching her body against his. Stefan, already weak, let her slam him into the wall behind them. "My plans for you are well underway, lover," she breathed. "Before long, you'll be _craving _my touch."

She then turned to Damon, who stared back at her warily. Katherine smiled, a hint of fang showing at her lips. "Don't fool yourself into thinking you can replace me, Damon. I know you'll come back to me." She glanced at Elena, "Sooner or later."

With that, she disappeared.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Where will you go?" Alaric murmured to Isobel as they all stood outside Katherine's house, watching as it burned to the ground.

"Not too far," Isobel answered quietly. "There's no point in running from Katherine. She always gets what she wants."

"No," Elena protested. "We can help you! You should go far away, where she'll never find you—"

"So naïve," Isobel interrupted. "Don't worry about me, Elena. I may be your birth mother, but I was never your _mom." _

"I know," Elena replied, looking down at the ground. "But you helped us. I won't forget."

"Speaking of helping us," Damon interrupted. "I believe you had some sort of deal you wanted to make with me?"

"Not now," Isobel said, staring straight at Damon. "But you owe me a debt. And _that, _I won't forget."

Damon nodded, accepting her terms. "Well, I can't say it's been a pleasure…but good luck to you, Isobel. You're going to need it."

Isobel smiled briefly, turning to Alaric. "Goodbye."

Then, she too was gone.

Elena let the tears run silently down her face as all of them watched Bonnie control the fire to Katherine's house so it wouldn't spread to the surrounding area.

Stefan was slumped down against a tree, his head in his hands. Tyler was standing some distance away, his face still expressionless. Alaric's arms were crossed as he stared off into the distance where Isobel had disappeared. And Damon stood next to Elena, watching as the tears fell down her face.

"It's done," Bonnie announced, and all of them joined her in staring at the rubble that had once been a house. "It's burned beyond repair. Any spells that might have been placed on it have been erased."

Damon nodded, glancing at Bonnie. "Did you manage to save anything?"

Bonnie smiled slightly, "How did you guess?"

"I figured you were smarter than that. Where is it?"

Alaric looked between the two, confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

Bonnie carefully climbed in the charred remains, digging through what was left. After a few moments, she pulled out a large book and clutched it to her chest. "The spellbook that Katherine had," Bonnie explained. "It belongs to a powerful witch. It'll have…powerful spells."

"Like the spell to uninvite a vampire from your home," Alaric said, understanding. He glanced at Tyler, "And what are you going to do about him? Will he remember anything?"

"I want him to remember." Bonnie hesitated, "He's a werewolf…or he will be, anyway. Don't you think he deserves to know what's going on?"

"Not my decision to make."

"I'll take care of him," Bonnie said quickly. "You guys mind if I head home? It's been a long night."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Elena asked, finally speaking.

Bonnie nodded, but didn't meet her gaze. "See you guys later." They watched as she took Tyler's hand and led him out of the woods.

"Well, looks like my little bro needs to replenish his blood supply," Damon announced after a few minutes, "I'll take him home." He picked up Stefan and called back, "Alaric, you take care of Elena, okay?"

He sped off without a backwards glance.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Elena stood outside the Salvatore mansion. It was late into the night, probably almost daybreak. She had let Alaric walk her home, and had waited a sufficient amount of time before taking off towards the boarding house.

She had a feeling that both brothers were pissed at her right now, each for different reasons. But, she still needed to see them.

Elena didn't bother to knock, knowing that the door would be open. It creaked loudly as she opened it, and she winced. Shutting it quietly behind her, she walked into the living room, half expecting to see Damon there.

But he wasn't.

Frowning, she walked into the library, but all was silent there as well.

"You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous."

Elena gasped, whirling around to see Damon. Her heart beat wildly, and she grabbed the table behind her to steady herself. "You—you scared me."

He tilted his head, "I didn't mean to." He smiled, moving in closer, "Though, _you're _the one sneaking around _my _house…"

"I just…wanted to see if you guys were okay," Elena said, disconcerted as she looked up into his eyes.

Damon didn't move, clearly enjoying her discomfort. "We're vampires. We bounce back," he said simply. "Stefan is out hunting. He refused to drink any of the blood packets I have."

"That's good," Elena said with relief, "I guess Katherine didn't break him after all."

"Katherine said something about having plans for him that were 'already underway,' whatever that means," Damon replied. He reached up and delicately brushed her hair out of her face. "I wouldn't worry about it, though," he murmured.

Elena gripped the table behind her even more tightly. She was fully aware that Damon could hear her heartbeat respond every time he touched her. No doubt that was why he was currently smirking, watching her every reaction. She turned to go, when she remembered, "Um..Stefan wasn't too angry was he? When he found out I drank your blood?"

Damon shrugged, an odd expression on his face. "He hasn't mentioned it."

"Thank god," Elena said, relieved. "Please don't tell him I fed you my blood, okay?"

Damon glanced over her shoulder, some emotion—regret?—sliding across his face. "I don't have to."

Elena felt her heart drop as she turned around to see Stefan standing in the doorway, clearly having heard every word.


	30. Truth

**A/N: **i can't believe it's already been 30 chapters! only 3 more months to go until Vampire Diaries returns on TV :)

* * *

"Stefan! I didn't notice you standing there," Damon exclaimed, raising his eyebrows at Elena challengingly.

Elena closed her eyes in anger. "You heard him coming, didn't you?"

Damon put his hand over his heart in mock disbelief. "Now, _why _would you say such a thing, Elena?" His expression hardened, "Is it because you think I use people as my little…toys?"

Elena met his gaze steadily, trying not to flinch under his glare. She had known that her words from that night would come back to haunt her, and she could see what Damon was trying to tell her. _Payback. _

"Don't put this all on Elena!" Stefan suddenly snapped. "You knew exactly what you were doing, Damon!"

"Contrary to popular belief, I didn't plan any of this," Damon replied, with a trace of bitterness in his voice. "Though I'm sure that's what you'd like to believe."

Elena walked towards Stefan, and touched his arm cautiously. He didn't pull away, but he didn't give her a friendly look either. "Look, Stefan, I'm sorry. But Damon's right, it wasn't planned or anything, it just…happened. He got hurt pretty badly when we were fighting the werewolf, and…" Elena swallowed, "I offered him my blood."

Stefan's expression didn't change, "Were you compelled?"

"What? No!" Elena quickly took her necklace out of her pocket and held it up. "See? I did it of my own free will, I promise."

"Think that makes it better?" Damon purposely brushed by Elena as he walked by. "I think I'll go make myself a drink…it's been a very interesting night…"

Elena waited till he had left before turning back to Stefan. "It's not a big deal," she said quietly. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd be upset."

Stefan's expression softened, but not by much. "Elena, I know that you think Damon is redeemable, but you don't know him like I do. He lies, he manipulates…"

"He cares about you," Elena interrupted, for some reason feeling defensive. "He risked his life to save yours tonight, and I think he's really trying to change—"

"Just because you _want _him to change, doesn't mean that he actually is!"

Elena stared at Stefan for a few seconds, unable to understand why he was acting like this. Surely he wanted his brother to change too? "I should go," Elena said abruptly. "See you at school."

Stefan sighed but didn't try to stop her as she stalked out of the library and through the living room. She noticed Damon sitting there, but he didn't speak to her either.

Elena slammed the door shut behind her.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"So, you know…everything?" Elena asked, keeping her voice low as she glanced around the quad. Matt and Caroline were sitting on a bench some distance away, arguing about something.

Tyler shrugged, and Bonnie quickly intervened, "I thought he should know what's been going on. You know, in case Katherine tries to use him for something."

"What exactly did you tell him?" Stefan asked shortly, not looking happy. "Just the stuff about Katherine?"

Bonnie hesitated, "And about myself. And he obviously knows about Alaric, Isobel, you, and Damon." She paused, "And I tried to explain about the Founder's Council involvement in everything."

Elena glanced at Tyler, "You know you have to keep it a secret, right?"

Tyler snorted, "As if anyone would believe I was a werewolf."

"Tyler…" Bonnie warned.

He rolled his eyes "Yeah, of course I won't tell anyone. Witches, vampires, werewolves…they'd think I was on a bad acid trip or something."

Elena almost smiled, but her expression sobered when she glanced at Stefan. Things between them were strained, at best. He seemed to be taking it as some kind of personal insult that she'd not only drank Damon's blood, but had fed him some of her own as well.

"It's a lot to take in," Stefan said to Tyler. "Are you sure you're okay with all of this?"

Tyler shrugged, "It's shocking and all, but I'm not gonna let it affect my life."

Stefan hesitated, frowning. "You're a _werewolf, _Tyler. It's going to affect your life, sooner or later."

"Back off!" Tyler snapped, but Bonnie touched his arm and he calmed down almost immediately. "Sorry, man…I didn't mean that."

"It's okay," Stefan replied, glancing at Bonnie. "A hot temper is part of the package."

"So I've heard," Tyler replied, not looking interested. "It would explain a lot, especially about my dad."

Elena stiffened, and Stefan looked quickly at her. Bonnie shook her head slightly to indicate that she hadn't told Tyler about Elena killing the werewolf. Elena relaxed immediately with a grateful smile.

Bonnie returned the smile after a minute. "By the way, I was thinking we should do that spell tonight," she said suddenly.

Stefan looked up in surprise, "Are you ready for it?"

Bonnie nodded determinately, "The sooner Katherine is banned from Elena's house, the faster all our lives can go back to normal."

Tyler laughed, "Define _normal_."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The tension in the Gilbert living room was thick, and Elena kept her eyes down, not wanting to look at anyone else. Alaric wouldn't be joining them for the spell, seeing as how he had taken Jenna out for a date so she would be out of the house.

Jeremy had been allowed to stay, but Elena had forgotten about the fact that he and Tyler were often at odds. Currently, he and Tyler were sitting at opposite sides of the sofa, glaring at each other. Bonnie was sitting in the middle of the room, poring over the spell she would have to perform.

Stefan hadn't arrived yet, but Damon was there. Making her uncomfortable. As usual.

"I'm gonna get more water," Elena said, standing up. She hurried into the kitchen, grateful for an excuse to leave the living room. She stood over the sink, trying to calm herself. Then, she happened to look up into the window. And she saw Damon's reflection.

Elena whirled around, cursing herself for not having predicted that Damon would follow her. Now they were alone together, which was even worse. "Damon! What—what're you doing here?"

Damon tilted his head, examining her. "I was hoping we could talk," he said finally.

"You're trying to sabotage my relationship with Stefan," Elena snapped. "We have nothing to talk about!" She tried to sidestep him, but he abruptly caged her in with his arms so she was trapped against the countertop.

Damon leaned in, his mouth brushing her cheek as he whispered in her ear. "Let me remind you_ Elena, _that _you _are the one that kissed _me." _

_"_That was a life or death situation," Elena retorted. "And I swear, if you _ever _tell Stefan—"

Damon grinned, "You'll do what, exactly?" Elena didn't reply, stiffening as he came even closer. He gazed at her as he slowly moved his arms so that his hands were resting on her waist.

"I'll—" she broke off, shivering as he tightened his grip. Then, tantalizingly, he placed a kiss on the hollow of her throat.

She automatically closed her eyes as he breathed in deeply, "You heart is just _racing, _Elena. Feel it." He took one of her hands and guided it to her throat, placing it over the spot he had kissed. Elena swallowed as she felt her pulse pounding.

Damon leaned away from her, his eyes darkening slightly. She watched as he fought to control the vampire within. After a few seconds, his eyes returned to normal. He gazed at her, frowning as though he couldn't believe what was happening. He began to step away from her, but Elena automatically grabbed his arm to stop him. "Damon—"

At that moment, she heard the front door open.

"Finally," Bonnie called. "Elena, Stefan's here!"


	31. Uninvited

"Good, now we can get started," Bonnie announced, "I've read and re-read the spell, so hopefully there shouldn't be any problems…"

Elena tuned her out, her eyes going straight to Stefan—who looked less than happy to see Damon and Elena emerging together from the kitchen. Elena smiled weakly at him, but he merely nodded in her direction.

"You look extra broody today," Damon said lightheartedly. "Not enough squirrels in the woods? You know you're welcome to my blood stash any time you want—"

"You shouldn't do that," Bonnie interrupted. "We all know Stefan can't handle human blood. Quit taunting him about it."

Damon looked surprised and Elena frowned in Bonnie's direction. "He was just kidding around," she defended Damon. Too late, she realized that wasn't the best idea.

Stefan scowled, "Thank you Bonnie, but we all know what Damon is like."

"I'm standing right here," Damon protested.

"Your point?"

There was silence for a few moments as everyone in the room looked between the Salvatore brothers nervously. There appeared to be a sort of silent face-off taking place.

"Okay!" Elena said, her voice a little more high pitched than normal. "Ready to start, Bonnie? Do you need anything else?"

"Just the picture," Bonnie replied. "Stefan, did you bring it?"

Stefan reached into his pocket and produced _the _photograph of Katherine. Elena fought not to show any emotion on her face, but her mind still flashed back to the night she had found that picture. _The night she and Stefan had slept together...The night of the car crash...The night Damon had saved her..._

"Okay, I'm ready," Bonnie announced, "So unless anyone has any questions…?"

"I have a question," Stefan said suddenly. "If this spell works, can you perform it for more than one vampire at a time?"

Bonnie looked confused, "Well, in theory, I guess…"

"Good. Include Damon in the spell."

Dead silence greeted Stefan's words.

"_What?" _Elena demanded.

"Damon doesn't need to be invited into this house anymore," Stefan said, not meeting her gaze. "If the house needs protecting, he can protect it from outside."

"Stefan, this is ridiculous!" Elena snapped. "We're not uninviting Damon from this house—"

"Am I invisible today?" Damon asked Jeremy, who grinned in response. "Because everyone seems to be talking about me like I'm not _standing right here." _

"I can see you," Jeremy offered, with a laugh. "And for the record, this is my house too, and I don't want Damon uninvited either."

"This doesn't really have anything to do with you," Stefan answered shortly.

That was apparently the wrong thing to say.

Jeremy stood up angrily, "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? This is my life, too! At least Damon tries to keep me up to speed with everything that's happening! That's more than I can say for you and Elena—"

"That's not fair, Jer," Elena interrupted, taking his arm gently.

He snatched it out of her grasp, his eyes flashing. "If you try to uninvite Damon, then I swear I'll call Aunt Jenna right now and tell her what you're doing!"

"Uh, actually I think I do need more supplies from…the kitchen," Bonnie said hastily, getting up. "Tyler, why don't you, um, help me find it?"

"Sure thing," Tyler agreed quickly.

They practically fled the room.

Elena wished she could do the same.

Damon and Stefan were standing on opposite sides of the room, with Elena and Jeremy standing in the middle. "Could everybody please calm down?" Elena pleaded.

"No," Jeremy snapped. "How can you stand for this Elena? Don't you think he's taking the protective boyfriend role a little too far?"

Elena closed her eyes, her head pounding. She turned to Stefan, and tried to smile understandingly. "I hate to say this, but my brother has a point," she said finally. "Why are you doing this?"

"I think you know why."

"You're being awfully quiet about this," Jeremy said loudly to Damon. "Don't you have an opinion?"

Elena turned to face Damon, and she frowned at his expression. He didn't look angry, like she had expected. His face was impassive, but as she stared at him, a trace of betrayal flashed in his eyes. "It's not my house," Damon replied unemotionally. "Not my decision."

Jeremy looked even angrier at his words and retorted, "Well, it's not Stefan's house either!"

"Jer, could you go wait in the kitchen with Bonnie?" Elena asked quietly.

Jeremy glared at her before turning on his heel and stalking into the kitchen. "I'm on your side, man," he said loudly as he passed Damon.

Damon smiled briefly, but didn't respond. He turned back to Elena, "Your decision, my lady."

Elena looked between him and Damon. It was ironic, but she was standing almost directly between them. "Look," she began, "I don't want to be caught in the middle of your stupid rivalry." She swallowed and said firmly, "I'm _not _Katherine."

"No one said you were," Damon offered, but Stefan didn't say anything.

Elena felt his unspoken words weigh heavily on her, "Stefan?"

"Fine," he said finally. "I still trust you, Elena. It's your decision to make."

"Thank you," Elena said gratefully. "And would you stop thinking this whole blood exchange this was a big deal? Because it really wasn't!"

"Okay," Stefan answered tiredly. "I believe you."

He obviously didn't, but there wasn't anything else Elena could do about it. She wondered briefly what Stefan would do if he knew about the kiss—or what had just happened in the kitchen. But she looked into his suspicious gaze and quickly wiped the thoughts from her head. It would be just her luck if he could suddenly read minds or something. The _Edward Cullen _jokes that would inspire…

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The six of them sat in a circle in the living room, with Katherine's photo in the middle. The only source of light remaining in the house were the candles Bonnie had lit, which cast shadows eerily around the room. "Is everyone ready?" Bonnie asked quietly, the spellbook open on her lap.

"Is this really going to work?" Jeremy asked dubiously.

"Bonnie's done a ton of spells before," Elena reassured him, "Just trust her." As she spoke the words, she glanced at Stefan. He was determinately avoiding her gaze.

"Alright," Bonnie closed her eyes. "Here we go."

Everyone went silent as she began reading the spell. It was complicated, and much longer than any other spell Elena had seen her perform. Elena closed her eyes as the Latin phrases begun to blend together, and Bonnie's chanting rose, louder and louder...

She felt a slight breeze on her neck, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the candles flickering. Bonnie was still reading, but hands were clenched into fists. Elena looked around the circle worriedly, and saw Damon staring at Bonnie in concern.

"_SIGNUM DOMUS!" _Bonnie cried, raising her hands. Her hair flew up as a whirlwind escaped her fingers and rushed towards the door.

Everyone jumped to their feet, watching as the wind stopped a few feet away from the door, as though it had hit an invisible barrier. "What's happening?" Tyler shouted.

"She has to be powerful enough to break the barrier," Damon yelled back, as the wind increased substantially. He took hold of one of Bonnie's hands. Understanding, Tyler took hold of her other hand. Elena held onto Damon as Jeremy hesitantly grabbed Elena's other hand.

He drew in his breath sharply when a pulse of power ran through the line and suddenly there was a mini explosion as the whirlwind hit the door.

Behind them, the photograph of Katherine burst into flames.

Everyone turned around, surprised.

"No!" Stefan shouted, rushing towards the picture.

"Don't touch it—!" Bonnie screamed, but it was too late.

Elena's mouth opened in horror as Damon leapt over them to save Stefan, both of them disappearing behind the flames.


	32. Bloodstream

It was utter chaos.

The fire burned, the wind was howling, Bonnie had fainted, and Tyler and Jeremy were shouting at each other.

Elena felt oddly detached from it all as she slumped down against the wall, her mind reeling.

_Why the hell had Stefan felt the need to save that stupid picture anyway? It wasn't like he hadn't seen the real person two days ago! And Katherine had already warned she'd be back…he could just take another damn photo of her then!_

"Elena?"

_And what on earth had possessed Damon to jump after him? Especially after Stefan had tried to get Damon uninvited from her house! Was he really trying to save Stefan, or was he after the photograph too—?_

"Elena!"

She looked up, startled. Jeremy was hovering over her, looking worried. "What are we supposed to do?" he yelled, clearly thinking Elena had some plan worked out.

"Huh?"

"Snap out of it!" Tyler roared, grabbing her shoulders and hauling her up so she was standing.

Startled, she fell against Jeremy, who looked furious. "Don't throw around my sister like that!"

"Well, I don't see her doing anything about it!"

"SHUT UP!" Elena screamed, realizing what was going on. She hurried to Bonnie, and shook her urgently, "Come on, wake up!"

Bonnie stirred, opening her eyes slowly. She took one look at Elena's desperate face and sat up immediately.

"You have to do something," Elena begged, "Do another spell!"

Bonnie hesitated, gazing at the fire. It was clear that Stefan, Damon, and the photograph had all disappeared. "I can bring them back," Bonnie said finally, lowering her voice as the wind subsided. "But I'll have to reverse the spell."

"So all that was for nothing?" Tyler demanded.

"We can worry about that afterwards!" Elena snapped.

Tyler looked like he was going to say something back, but Jeremy glared at him and Tyler backed off, looking annoyed.

"Okay, here goes," Bonnie said, taking a deep breath. She raised her arms towards the still-burning fire and began chanting. As she did, the flames grew, illuminating the entirety of the Gilbert residence.

Elena felt someone squeeze her hand, and she smiled at her brother. No matter how much he hated her for erasing his memory, he was there when she needed him the most, and for that, she was grateful.

Bonnie slowly began lowering her arms, bringing the flames down at the same time. "_LAXO VENEFICUS," _she repeated, over and over—and a glimmer appeared within the circle of fire.

Elena started forward, but Jeremy pulled her back, "Wait."

Bonnie's voice was nearly gone, and she swayed on her feet as she kept repeating the words. Tyler walked towards her, placing a hand on her back for support. She gave him a small smile of gratitude, and at that instant, the fire diminished before disappearing completely.

And there stood Stefan and Damon.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''

"So you don't remember _anything?" _Bonnie asked again suspiciously.

"It's just a huge…blank," Stefan said, shrugging. He didn't look at Damon, which Bonnie found even more suspicious. It was almost like they had rehearsed their lie together.

"You too?" she shot at Damon, hoping to catch him off guard.

"Brother knows best," Damon replied, smiling slightly as though he knew what Bonnie was trying to do. "I appreciate you bringing us back, though. Any other witch would've been glad to get rid of two vampires."

"I did it for Elena."

"Sure you did," Damon said knowingly. He grinned, "Admit it, you love us."

Bonnie opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it. "Believe what you want, Damon."

"You know I do," Damon said, looking up as Elena joined them in the living room.

"How's Jeremy?" Bonnie asked.

"A little shaken up. He'll be okay."

Damon studied her. She was pale, her features drawn, and arms were crossed. "And are you okay?" he asked lightly. "Get any paler and you really will be mistaken for Katherine."

"I'm fine." Elena's gaze fell on Stefan, who was still clutching Katherine's burnt photo. "Bonnie said we have to redo the spell. Maybe you could try _not _running after Katherine's picture this time—"

"Actually, we need a new picture," Bonnie interrupted. "Do you have another one?"

Stefan shook his head, his eyes dark and brooding. "I guess we'll have to...wait."

"Wait for what?" Elena demanded.

At that moment, Damon's cell phone rang and he pulled it out, raising his eyebrows. "It's the history teacher," he said, looking confused.

Elena sat upright, "What is it? Is Aunt Jenna okay?"

Damon shrugged, and put the phone on speaker. "Aren't you supposed to be on a date?"

"Where are you?" Alaric sounded harassed.

"Everyone's at my house," Elena interrupted. "What's wrong? Is Jenna okay?"

"Your aunt is fine. Look, who exactly are you with?"

"Bonnie, Damon, Stefan, and Tyler," Elena answered, bewildered. "Oh, and Jeremy is here too."

"Tyler? He's with you?"

"I'm here," Tyler said, frowning. "Why?"

"You've been there all night?"

"Mr. Saltzman, what's going on?" Bonnie asked, glancing at Tyler. "We've all been here all night trying to get the uninvitation spell to work..."

"What happened?" Alaric asked, sounding distracted.

"There were...complications," Damon replied. "We're working on it."

"Right, well I'm gonna need you and Stefan to come down to the woods." There was a growl, and Alaric hastily added, "Sooner would be better."

"What's going on?" Damon demanded, grabbing his phone as he stood up. "Are you being attacked by vampires? Is Katherine there? Isobel?"

_Click. _

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"I don't know how you always manage to talk your way into these missions," Damon commented. "If Stefan hadn't volunteered to pick up some weapons from the boarding house, then you wouldn't be walking with me right now."

"I need to know that Jenna is okay," Elena answered simply. "And I'm sure Stefan would've found a way to drug me again."

"I don't think he'll be trying that again any time soon," Damon grinned. "Not after you bitched him out." He kept walking, then realized Elena wasn't beside him anymore. He turned around in surprise, to see her standing a few feet behind him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You're both lying," Elena said, not moving. "We all know it."

Damon frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"Why won't you tell us where you went when you disappeared?"

"I don't remember."

"You're lying." Elena repeated. She walked over to him and gently pulled his arm so that he had to face her. "I thought you trusted me."

A dozen emotions flitted across Damon's face, "Elena—"

Elena's blood was pounding in her ears, and she could already see Damon's eyes beginning to darken as she stood near him, their bodies barely touching. "I'm not Katherine," Elena reminded him.

"I know." Damon didn't move as she imperceptibly leaned into him, feeling his arms encircle her waist. "I know," Damon repeated quietly. He leaned towards her, so their faces were inches apart. "You think about me even when you don't want to think about me," he murmured, and Elena smiled at the memory.

"And right now you want to kiss me," she finished, as their lips finally met.

It wasn't like before, when Damon had been taken off guard. He began kissing her back immediately, pulling her tightly against him.

Elena had just begun to realize what she was doing when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled away from Damon with gasp, feeling lightheaded. She fumbled with her phone, raising it to the streetlamp so she could see the text message.

Her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Let me guess...my dear brother wondering where we are?" Damon asked hoarsely, breathing hard.

Wordlessly, she handed Damon the phone.

**From: Stefan.**

**Pack of werewolves in woods. Run. **


	33. Mind Games

Guilt was a curious emotion, one that Elena had become all too familiar with over these past few months.

First, she had felt guilty when she was forced to keep secrets from her family and her best friends. Then, she had felt guilty when she had to betray Damon in order to get the Grimoire. As of recently, Jeremy had been making her feel guilty for erasing his memory.

But nothing compared to the guilt she felt from _the kiss. _

There were no excuses this time. She couldn't say it was a life or death situation, or that he had compelled her, or...anything. She had wanted to kiss him, simple as that.

She felt horrible.

After getting Stefan's text message last night, she had taken his advice to heart and ran. Without looking back. She wasn't stupid, she knew that Stefan must have seen her with Damon last night. Why else would he send her the text? He must have gotten to the woods before them and then _watched _while she kissed his brother.

She groaned and leaned back against her bed, almost wishing she could erase her own memory. Maybe she could ask Katherine to do it—

Someone knocked on her door, and Elena looked up as Jeremy walked in. "What's up?" Elena asked, frowning at his expression. "Is everything alright?"

Jeremy shifted, "I wanted to talk to you about…Damon."

Elena felt a small pang in her chest. She cleared her throat, "Um, what about Damon? Did he do anything to you?"

"No," Jeremy replied, looking confused. "See, he told me a while ago about how he used to…turn off his feelings?"

Elena sighed, "Please get that idea out of your head, Jer...you _don't _want to become a vampire!"

"That's not why I brought this up! I'm not trying to kill myself anymore, okay?"

Elena blinked, relieved. "Oh…then why are you asking?"

"I was wondering why he doesn't do that anymore."

"Do what?"

"Turn off his feelings," Jeremy snapped, looking annoyed. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course," Elena said immediately, though she wasn't sure where this conversation was going. "I'm not sure when he decided to switch his emotions back on, but it's probably around the same time he stopped being a jackass." She smiled, "Does that answer your question?"

"Not really."

Elena tried to hide her impatience. How was she supposed to know every detail of Damon's life? "Maybe you should just ask him," she suggested.

"I'm asking _you," _Jeremy insisted, staring at her significantly.

"Well I don't know!"

"Okay…well do you know why your boyfriend risked his life to save a picture of his ex-girlfriend?"

Elena felt like she'd been slapped. She stared at Jeremy in disbelief, but he merely gazed back at her unapologetically. Elena tried to compose herself and took a deep breath. "Clearly there are still some…issues that he has to work out concerning Katherine."

"What issues?" Jeremy demanded angrily. "She killed our uncle—who I didn't really like anyway, but that's not the point—and then she tried to kill you, and Bonnie, and Mr. Saltzman, and—"

"I get the point," Elena interrupted. "Look, I've learned to accept the fact that Stefan _and _Damon were both in love with Katherine a long time ago. They're still dealing with that."

"You sure one of them still isn't in love with her?" Jeremy muttered, slamming the door behind him.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Elena sat in the Salvatore living room, moodily staring into the fireplace. She could hear Stefan rustling around with something in the library. A few minutes later, he sat down next to her, looking serious.

"I don't know what we're going to do with a pack of werewolves," he said, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "We can't go on a hunting trip and kill all of them…I mean, these are actual _people._"

"But how long before they start killing innocent people? I mean, they have to feed sometime..." Elena trailed off.

Stefan shrugged, a weak smile on his lips. "Doesn't hurt to stay positive."

"I noticed no one was guarding my house last night," Elena said cautiously. "Do you think I'm safe from Katherine?"

"She won't be back for a while," Stefan answered in a strange voice. "We'll be ready for her when it happens."

It was a touchy subject, but Elena wanted to know the truth. "You're not over her, are you?"

Stefan didn't answer, but his jaw clenched.

"I thought Damon was the one who was obsessed with her, but all along it's been you—"

"That's not fair, Elena," Stefan interrupted. "I might have loved Katherine, but I never wanted to become what she was…She compelled me into drinking her blood. I told you that."

"But you _did _become what she was," Elena pointed out. "And after all that she's done to my family, and even to you and Damon…you still wanted to save her picture yesterday."

"It was a stupid reaction," Stefan admitted, "But we've carried that picture with us for so long…and to see it go up in flames…"

"It shouldn't have mattered," Elena said quietly.

"I know," Stefan replied after several moments. "But I understand what you did...And I forgive you for it."

Elena frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you kiss Damon yesterday night. You wanted me to see, didn't you?"

"What—?" Elena sputtered. "That wasn't for your benefit, I just—"

"You were angry at me," Stefan interrupted. "For saving Katherine's picture. I understand_." _He gave her a small smile, "You were trying to hurt me, like I hurt you..."

Elena's mouth opened and closed several times, but she couldn't find the words to express her disbelief. "That wasn't..."

Stefan placed a hand on her shoulder tenderly, and kissed her cheek. "It's okay," he repeated. He smiled at her and then lightly kissed her on the lips. "How about I go get us a snack in the kitchen?" He didn't wait for an answer and got up, "I'll be right back."

Elena nodded silently, watching him walk away. She felt sick. She had _wanted _to kiss Damon, hadn't she? She hadn't done it out of some twisted need to get revenge on Stefan...

She felt confused, as though Stefan was putting thoughts in her head that weren't supposed to be there. She stood up, determined to set him straight.

At that moment, the front door opened. She watched as Damon and Alaric shuffled in, both carrying large duffel bags. "God, these are heavy," Alaric grumbled, setting down the bags with a large _thud. _

_"_What's going on?" Stefan asked, coming back into the room. "Where have you guys been?"

"Take a look for yourself," Alaric indicated, opening the bags. Elena peered in, raising her eyebrows at what she saw there.

"Silver knives, silver bullets, silver chains, silver swords..." Damon announced, pulling out each weapon as he named it. "Those werewolves don't stand a chance."

"They haven't killed anyone yet," Stefan protested.

"Better safe than sorry," Damon replied dismissively. He held up one of the swords and waved it around, pointing it at Elena. "You know, I always thought I'd make a good pirate..."

Elena had a sudden, vivid image of a swashbuckling Damon on a pirate ship. She smiled slightly, and Damon winked at her. "Jack Sparrow ain't got nothing on me."

Alaric rolled his eyes, "Pirate fantasies aside, can we focus on the major problem here? The sheriff thinks the town is safe, she won't be on the lookout. Another werewolf attack would devastate Mystic Falls—"

"I agree," Damon said sharply. "Which is why we need to _kill _the problem before it starts."

"These could be people we know, Damon!" Stefan said angrily. "I know you don't care about the death toll you're mounting up, but we can't afford to kill innocents!"

"How many werewolves have you met?" Damon snapped. "Just keep Tyler away from the woods, and—"

"But he can talk to them," Elena pointed out. "Maybe they just want to...I don't know...help him transformation or something?"

"Everyone isn't _good, _Elena," Damon said, sounding pained. "You can't...always see the best in people..."

_I saw the best in you. _The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn't say it. Instead, she crossed her arms determinately. "I won't let you kill the werewolves...they haven't done anything yet!"

Damon looked angry, and opened his mouth to argue, when Elena's phone beeped. _Bonnie. _"Hey," Elena said shortly. "Look, I'm kinda in the middle of something—"

"They took him!" Bonnie said tearfully. "They took Tyler!"

* * *

*** after the last few action-packed chapters, I decided to dial it down a bit...hope you still enjoyed it!**


	34. Hunt

**A/N: **thanks for the reviews, you guys rock!

* * *

"I don't think Bonnie should be coming with us," Elena asserted, looking between Damon and Alaric. "It's not safe."

"It's not safe for you either," Damon answered, raising his eyebrows. "But that's not stopping you."

Elena frowned, "But I don't want her to get hurt!"

Damon zipped up one of the duffel bags, testing its weight. He didn't look at her, "It's annoying, isn't it? When someone you want to keep safe insists on coming along for the ride?"

Alaric cleared his throat, "I'll just go put a couple of these bags in the car."

Elena waited until Alaric had left before turning to Damon. "Stefan knows about the kiss."

"I know," Damon replied unconcernedly.

"You…what?" Elena demanded, "Did he talk to you about it?"

"Nope," Damon hauled one of the bags to the door and dropped it there. He peered outside, where Alaric seemed to have decided to wait in the car. Damon grinned to himself. He turned back to Elena, realizing she was waiting for an explanation. "Stefan saw us kissing last night," Damon explained.

"Oh, you figured it out, too? That he sent me the text message because he was watching?"

"No, I knew he was there. I could sense him."

"You knew—?" Elena stood up, disbelief etched on her face. "Why didn't you stop me?"

Damon looked momentarily confused. "Why would I stop a pretty girl from succumbing to my charms?"

He sighed when Elena merely glared in response. "Look, what do you want me to say? You had_ finally _decided to admit it. I wasn't going to stop you—"

"Admit what?" Elena snapped.

"That you want me," Damon said easily. "I couldn't let that opportunity fly by."

"I don't—"

"No point in denying it, Elena," Damon stretched on the sofa, looking supremely relaxed. "You felt something, or you wouldn't have done it."

"I plead insanity," Elena said drily.

Damon smirked, "So you admit I've driven you crazy?"

Elena groaned inwardly. There was no winning at this. Damon had practically invented the game.

"So…what did my little brother have to say about it?" Damon asked lazily.

Elena scrutinized his expression. He was acting like he didn't care, but she knew…it was just an act_. _Just below the surface, there was a glimmer of concern. "Actually, he tried to make it seem like I was…getting back at him."

For the first time, Damon looked interested. "Getting revenge, huh? For that business with the photograph?"

Elena nodded, almost afraid to see Damon's reaction. "He made it seem like we were even, now."

Damon flashed her a smile. "My poor brother, living in denial."

"You're awfully cocky," Elena pointed out. "How do you know that's not what happened?"

Damon grinned, blurring until he was suddenly leaning over her, a mere inch from her face. Elena gasped in surprise, and leaned back against the sofa. "Because I know you, _Elena," _Damon whispered, his eyes darkening seductively. "You can't resist…"

There was a sudden squeal of tires outside, and Damon straightened. "Looks like Stefan and Bonnie are here," he announced. He looked almost excited and blurred to the front door, holding it open. "After you, _lover." _

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"I can't quite believe I'm spending my Saturday night with a bunch of my students," Alaric muttered. "And _you_," he added to Damon with a grimace.

"Ah, come on Ric!" Damon clapped him on the shoulder jovially. "There are worse ways to spend your Saturday night. You could be…grading papers or something."

"I think I'd rather be doing that," Alaric peered through the binoculars from the car. "And I can't see anything," he added, handing them to Damon.

Damon shook his head, "Vampire vision, remember?"

"Right," Alaric said, putting down the binoculars thoughtfully. "I don't get why we're trying to spy on the werewolves from out here. Why don't we just go in and get rid of them? We'll have the element of surprise—"

"Stefan wants proof that they're going to hurt innocent people," Damon interrupted, "So we wait."

"I didn't think you cared what Stefan thought."

"Elena agrees with him," Damon amended, glancing at Alaric.

"I see."

At that moment, Damon's phone beeped. He looked down to see a text from his brother.

FROM: STEFAN

**movement from our end. we're following on foot. **

"Let's go," Damon said, nodding to Alaric. "Our pack is on the move."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Elena crept along the trees, behind Stefan and Bonnie. Stefan was leading the way, following the lingering scent of the werewolves. They hadn't spotted Tyler among them, but Stefan had reasoned that the werewolves would have a hideout nearby.

Stefan had hugged both Elena and Bonnie in order to mask their human scent, but Elena was still worried. _One _werewolf had been able to take out Alaric and Damon...who knew what a _pack _could do?

"Any sense of Tyler yet?" Bonnie whispered.

Stefan shook his head, but he slowed down. "I think we're gaining on them...their scent is growing stronger."

"Maybe they reached their hideout," Elena suggested.

The growls were certainly getting louder, and Stefan looked increasingly apprehensive. "Maybe you two should stay here while I check it out..."

Elena was tempted to agree. She could vividly remember the last time she had come in close contact with a werewolf, and it hadn't been pleasant. "No," she answered finally. "You shouldn't go in alone."

Suddenly, Stefan turned around, looking confused. A second later, Damon and Alaric emerged from the trees. They both stopped short, looking surprised. "What are you doing here?" Stefan demanded. "You're supposed to be closing in on the wolves from the _other _side of the woods!"

"We were!" Damon snapped. "You guys are the ones that are on the wrong side!"

"That's impossible—"

"Be quiet!" Bonnie hissed. "You guys are going to give away our location!"

Everyone fell silent, though Stefan still looked confused. "Okay, new plan," he whispered. "We think the pack is just ahead of us, so why don't me and Alaric go check it out and see what we can find?"

"I'm going with you," Bonnie said flatly.

"But—"

"Let's go."

Stefan sighed in defeat and quickly kissed Elena on the cheek. "Keep her safe," he warned to Damon, who merely nodded in response.

Then they were gone.

"Stefan trusts you," Elena said, the thought occurring to her suddenly. "As much as he says he doesn't, he's never been afraid to leave me with you."

Damon shrugged, looking casual, "He knows I would never hurt you...but that doesn't mean he trusts me."

"You never told him about our first kiss," Elena said. It was a statement, not a question.

"Why would I do that? It didn't mean anything."

Elena felt a twinge in her heart, but tried not to show it. "What do you mean?"

"It wasn't real," Damon answered, frowning. "You were pretending to be Katherine."

"That doesn't mean that it wasn't..." Elena trailed off, wondering why she was trying to defend the kiss.

"I wasn't sure if it was even you last night," Damon said suddenly, not meting her gaze. "It would be just like Katherine to show up and pretend to be you again."

Elena twisted her necklace thoughtfully, "Well, now you know the difference."

"I guess I do." Damon opened his mouth to say something else, when suddenly he froze.

"What's wrong?"

Slowly, Damon turned around, peering into the trees behind them. Elena looked around him, wondering what was there. For a second, she didn't see anything. Then, silently, a figure walked out.

It took Elena a minute to figure out who it was, but then she realized. _Tyler._

He looked a little worse for wear, his clothes tattered, his hair unkempt. But it was definitely him.

"Thank god you're okay!" Elena began walking toward him, but Damon put out his arm to stop her. Elena began to argue, but the words died in her throat when she saw Tyler begin to crouch, his face contorting in pain. His eyes changed, became bright. A snarl escaped his lips.

At that moment, a pounding of footsteps came from behind them. Stefan, Bonnie, and Alaric came running into the clearing. "They saw us—" Stefan stopped, looking at what was happening.

"Is that...Tyler?" Bonnie asked incredulously.

Tyler was on all fours now. He hissed at them, his eyes glinting dangerously.

At that same instant, more growls echoed in the woods. Elena turned around as the pack of werewolves slowly padded into the clearing.

They were surrounded.


	35. Stranger

**A/N: **hey everyone, just a heads up— I'll be going on a two month summer vacation in one week (where I won't have internet) sooo basically I guess there's about 5 or 6 chapters left in this story! don't worry, I'll try not to end the whole thing on a major cliffhanger ;)

* * *

"Don't take out your weapons," Alaric breathed. "It'll give them reason to attack."

"Then what was the point of bringing weapons?" Elena whispered back, her eyes darting around the circle in fear.

"It was more of a…preemptive measure," Damon muttered. "Look, here's the plan. Elena, Bonnie…you guys run. The three of us will distract them—"

"No, you need me," Bonnie insisted. "I'm not leaving Tyler here with them!"

"You'll get yourself killed," Damon answered shortly. "I know you've become a powerful witch, but hang around any longer and you'll become a powerful, _dead _witch.

Bonnie didn't flinch, "I think the Gilbert device had the right idea."

Alaric looked stunned for a moment, and he slowly removed a small object from his pocket. "My frequency emitter," he explained. "I brought it along in case we needed a plan B."

There was a growl as one of the werewolves took a step towards them. Elena drew in her breath, aware that the werewolf was watching her every move. "We can't use that," she hissed. "What about Damon and Stefan? They'll be affected by it, too!"

"That's where I come in," Bonnie said quietly. "I'll cast a protection spell…sort of like a shield around them. That way, only the werewolves will be affected. As long as the emitter stays on, they'll be paralyzed."

"Excellent idea," Damon said sharply. "Are you sure there's not another part of it that you're failing to mention?"

Bonnie crossed her arms, "What are you talking about?"

Damon raised his eyebrows, "So you're just going to leave Tyler here to fend for himself while we make our getaway?"

Bonnie hesitated, "Well…"

"Yeah, I didn't think so."

Elena frowned, "Bonnie, you can't just—" she broke off with a gasp as Bonnie lifted her arms, raising her head to the sky. Elena placed a hand over her chest as she felt the power radiating off her best friend.

Both Damon and Stefan backed away, eyeing Bonnie with something close to…respect? Or was it fear?

"Can you feel that?" Alaric asked from behind Elena. "She has some serious power."

"I know," Elena replied, taking a step back as the wolves began howling. "Doesn't seem like the wolves are enjoying it too much."

"It's the same reason Damon and Stefan backed away," Alaric explained, raising his voice over the rushing of the wind. "They're more sensitive to the power than humans are. They can _feel _much more than we can…"

"Now!" Bonnie cried.

Alaric fumbled with the device in his hand, switching it on to a certain frequency.

There was an eerie silence for about half a second.

Then all hell broke loose.

Tyler screamed. It wasn't a human scream—because he wasn't in human form—but it was a scream, nonetheless. It tore at Elena's heart and she had a sudden urge to scream as well, even though she couldn't hear the device. She fell to her knees, her hands over her ears to block out the gut wrenching howling.

Damon took a step towards her when suddenly he fell to the ground, his face contorting in agony. Stefan looked, for the moment, extremely shocked. He staggered, falling onto a tree before slumping to the ground.

"What's happening?" Alaric shouted, looking wildly at Bonnie.

Bonnie's mouth was open in disbelief. "I don't know! I did the spell right, I know I did!"

Alaric grabbed the device to turn it off, when suddenly it disappeared from his hands. "What the—!" He looked up and saw a figure sitting in the trees. She waved at him, the device glinting in her hands. Alaric squinted, trying to see the woman's face, but she kept it in shadow.

Then she leapt, disappearing.

There were several _thuds _and Alaric looked back to see the werewolves dropping to the ground, one by one. Tyler whined, putting his paws to his head in an almost human gesture before collapsing as well.

"This is our chance," Alaric said hurriedly, grabbing Elena.

She opened her eyes, looking stricken.

"Let's go," Alaric urged. "Get Damon and Stefan. Me and Bonnie will get Tyler."

Elena nodded, her face set. It was time to get out of here.

''''''''''''''''''''''

"Would someone like to explain to me what happened back there?" Alaric demanded angrily. "As far as our plans go, I'd say this was a fairly simple one with a high chance of succeeding. _So what went wrong?" _

"That's what I'd like to know," Damon snapped, turning to face Bonnie. "Next time, a little warning before you betray us would be ideal—"

"I didn't!" Bonnie said, looking upset. "I swear I did the spell right…it should have worked!"

"And _you," _Damon said to Alaric, ignoring Bonnie completely. "Why didn't you turn off the device?"

"Some bitch in the trees took it!" Alaric retorted. "I was about to turn it off when it disappeared from my hands…"

"You didn't see her face?" Stefan asked, frowning.

"Well she was fast, so I'm guessing it was a vampire…"

"Katherine?" Elena asked, resigned to the fact that her doppelganger was destined to be the bane of her existence.

"That's not her style," Damon answered thoughtfully. "She would have made herself known, not hide in the shadows."

"Damon's right," Stefan agreed. "It must've been somebody else?"

"Isobel?" Bonnie suggested.

"Not unless she decided to switch sides again," Damon frowned. "Which is possible, of course."

Tyler moaned, and all of them fell silent, looking down at him. He was lying on the ground at Bonnie's feet, and she crouched down worriedly. "Ty, can you hear me?"

"What's going on?" he mumbled, slowly reverting completely back to human form.

Alaric quickly opened the trunk of the car and pulled out a large blanket. He knelt over Tyler, wrapping him up. "Hey, buddy. How're you feeling?"

"Shitty," Tyler groaned, sitting up. He looked up at all of them, his gaze resting on Bonnie. "What happened? Last I remember..."

"You were kidnapped," Stefan cut in, "By a pack of werewolves that have taken residence the woods. Do you remember what they did to you? What they said?"

Tyler rubbed is face, looking tired. "Uh..."

"He's exhausted," Bonnie interjected. "Can't we discuss this tomorrow?"

"Fine," Stefan said, but he didn't look happy. "Come on, I'll take you two home in my car. Alaric, you can drive Elena and Damon back."

"Will do," Alaric answered.

Damon held the door open for Elena and she reluctantly climbed into the backseat, still worried about what had just happened. The ride back to her house was silent as everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Alaric pulled into her driveway ten minutes later. "Should we meet up tomorrow to discuss what happened?"

"I'll call you," Damon answered, getting out of the car. Elena got out at the same time and looked at him strangely. "I'll make it back on my own," Damon nodded to Alaric. "Now you can get back to your exciting Saturday night plans of grading papers." Alaric merely rolled his eyes and drove away.

Elena hesitated on the sidewalk. "Are you coming in?" she asked Damon, fully expecting him to say yes.

Damon frowned, looking distracted. "I better not," he answered finally, glancing around in a paranoid manner. "Good night, Elena."

He sped off, leaving Elena staring after him in confusion.

* * *

**p.s. who else is excited for the True Blood season premiere tomorrow? ahh, one more day!**


	36. Doppelganger

"I feel like you're never at home anymore," Jenna complained, pouring Elena a glass of orange juice. "You spend so much time over at Stefan's house…"

Elena smiled weakly and popped a strawberry into her mouth, "I'm here now, aren't I? Just in time for our usual Sunday family brunch!"

"Your enthusiasm is transparent," Jenna answered drily. "Where's your brother?"

Elena shrugged. "Jer!" she called, "You coming down?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses," Jeremy muttered, bounding down the stairs with his backpack.

Jenna looked at him in surprise, "Where are you off to? It's Sunday."

"School project. I thought I'd go to the library."

"Why don't you hang out with me today? Tyler and Bonnie are coming over," Elena said pointedly.

"Those are your friends, not mine," Jeremy retorted.

"Relax," Jenna said with a laugh. "If Jeremy wants to be a good student and get his homework done at the library, then you should let him."

"Elena's not good at relaxing," a voice said, and they all jumped. Elena turned around to see Damon making his way casually into the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind," he said innocently, "The front door was unlocked."

Elena stared at Damon in surprise. He was wearing his leather jacket over a black collared shirt, left slightly open at the top, and black jeans. He smirked in her direction, and Elena flushed. He looked good, and he obviously knew it.

"Oh," Jenna replied, not looking pleased. "I didn't know you were coming over for breakfast this morning, Damon. Where's your brother?"

"Stefan? Oh he'll be here soon," Damon replied, leaning against the countertop. "And may I say, you look lovely this morning, Jenna."

"Thank you," Jenna said stiffly. "Elena can I speak to you upstairs for a second?"

Elena suppressed a groan, and let her aunt drag her upstairs, "What is it?"

Jenna shifted, clearly uncomfortable. "Elena, I wasn't going to bring this up, because I always trust you to do the right thing…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I didn't have a problem with you and Damon being friends, Elena. He's a charming guy, I understand that…" Jenna held up her hand to keep Elena from interrupting. "But to keep meeting alone, when Stefan isn't here…doesn't that seem, well, _wrong _to you?"

"It's not like that," Elena could feel the heat rise to her face.

"You kissed him," Jenna reminded her.

"Huh?"

"After Founder's Day, when I caught you and Damon locking lips on the front porch?"

"Oh, that was just…"

"I don't need you to explain yourself to me," Jenna continued. "It's your life, Elena. But I'm your aunt, and I want you to make the rightdecisions. Can you understand that?"

Elena nodded, looking down. "I understand."

"Good," Jenna smiled slightly. "Now I'm going to head out to run some errands. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Hey," Elena said as she walked back into the kitchen ten minutes later. "What's going on?"

"I was just filling in Jeremy on the adventure from last night," Damon replied, taking a sip of Elena's orange juice.

"Yeah, sounds like you guys had fun," Jeremy said, grinning.

"It wasn't exactly what I'd call fun," Elena disagreed, taking a seat next to Damon.

"Ah, come on! All that adrenaline pumping through your body…must be a rush," Jeremy said, almost wistfully.

"You should stick around today," Damon said casually. "Maybe there'll be another little adventure…"

"Wish I could," Jeremy replied, downing the rest of his breakfast. "But I gotta finish this project." He grabbed his bag, "See you guys later."

"Be careful," Elena called after him.

"_You_ worry too much," Damon said, a few seconds after Jeremy had left. "Just like Stefan."

Elena hesitated, "So how come you took off last night?"

"I had to check something out." Elena waited, but he didn't elaborate. She was just about to get up when he suddenly said, "I heard what your aunt said to you upstairs."

"You were listening?" Elena demanded.

Damon didn't answer, picking up a strawberry thoughtfully. "She doesn't think I'm a good influence on you," he deduced, giving her a crooked smile.

"She's just…trying to be protective," Elena said, feeling awkward.

Damon shifted closer to her, holding the strawberry near Elena's mouth. "Does she have a reason to be?" he asked quietly.

Elena slowly took a bite of the strawberry, letting him feed it to her. Damon leaned even closer before popping the remaining half into his own mouth. He grinned, raising his eyebrows at her. "Tasty."

Elena shook her head, trying to clear the haze that was filling her mind. She began to get up when suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down. She gasped as she landed on Damon's lap and he tightened his grip on her so she wouldn't escape. "Damon…" she warned. "You said yourself that Stefan would be here soon."

"I'll hear him coming," Damon said dismissively, eyeing her with interest. He cocked his head, "What should we do till he gets here?"

Elena opened her mouth to answer, but fell silent as Damon bent his head towards her neck and seductively kissed his way up to her lips. Elena's eyes closed in pleasure as he bit at her lower lip lightly. When she opened her eyes, she realized he had vamped out, obviously unintentionally.

Her hand raised of its own accord and gently stroked his face, feeling the veins under her fingers. "This didn't happen to you before," she remarked as Damon gritted his teeth, trying to revert back to human form. "No," she said softly as he struggled. "It's okay." He looked at her in surprise as she slowly placed a kiss on his lips.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''

"It's so fucking early," Tyler groaned from the backseat of Alaric's car.

Stefan was sitting in the passenger seat and he turned around to see Bonnie shrug in Tyler's direction. "We need to find out what the pack is going to do next. The sooner, the better."

"It's not that early," Stefan interjected.

"Easy for you to say, you're a vampire," Tyler retorted. "Aren't you all about being creatures of the night?"

Stefan cleared his throat, "Actually, it's almost noon."

Alaric coughed, clearly hiding a laugh. Bonnie looked at Tyler sympathetically, "I know you're still tired from whatever you went through, but we just want to help, okay?"

Alaric pulled into the Gilbert driveway, and everyone got out. Stefan frowned as a wave of air hit him. _Damon's scent…_

As if reading his mind, Bonnie suddenly touched his arm. "Hey, isn't Damon joining us?"

At that moment, Damon pulled open the front door, smiling brightly. Elena hovered in the background, looking nervous. Alaric glanced once at Stefan before leading the way into the house. Everyone trailed in after him, avoiding each other's gaze.

Stefan shot Damon a suspicious look, "What are you doing here?"

"Grabbing some breakfast," Damon grinned and nipped playfully at Elena's throat.

She laughed and shoved him away, her face sobering when she glanced at Stefan. "Um, I guess we can get started…" she said, leading the way into the living room where everyone was already seated.

"So, how are you feeling?" Elena asked Tyler. "I hope your mom wasn't too worried that you were missing…"

Tyler snorted, "She didn't even notice I was gone. She's too busy with all that mayor stuff."

"What mayor stuff?" Damon asked, looking interested.

"Oh, didn't you guys know? My mom is taking over as mayor till the next election."

"Makes sense," Alaric replied. "Okay, so—" he broke off when he saw Stefan and Damon both frowning towards the window. "Is something wrong?"

"There's a scent," Stefan said, looking confused. He glanced at Damon, "Vampire?"

"I can't tell," Damon got up, breathing in deeply. "No, it's human, isn't it?"

"Both?" Tyler suggested.

"That's impossible," Damon answered, but he didn't look convinced.

The doorbell rang, and everyone froze. Elena cautiously peered through the curtains, but she relaxed when she saw who was standing there. She pulled open her door with a confused smile, "Caroline, Matt...what are you guys doing here?"

Caroline frowned, "You're the one that told us to come here...wait how did you get here so fast?"

"What are you talking about?"

"We _just_ saw you at the library..."


	37. Lineage

**A/N: **think of these final four chapters as sort of a season finale ;) all the unanswered questions and mysteries from previous chapters are going to start coming together. enjoy.

* * *

Elena felt her heart skip a beat, "The library?"

"Yeah, you and Jeremy were there..." Caroline frowned and waved a hand in front of Elena's face. "Um, like what's wrong with you?"

"I drove her back," Damon said, suddenly appearing at Elena's side.

"Elena?" Caroline demanded. "What's Damon doing here? Where's Stefan?"

Damon shifted so neither of them could see past him into the living room. "Stefan's not here," Damon replied, his eyes dilating. "_Maybe you should go now..."_

"Man, _what_ is up with your eyes?" Matt asked suspiciously. "Are you high?"

"No," Elena said loudly. "Damon's just...um, we're just waiting for Stefan to get here."

"But you told us to come to your house because Jenna had something to give us," Caroline protested, looking confused.

Stefan stood behind the door and subtly handed the plate of strawberries to Damon. Elena saw and grabbed them, handing them to Caroline. "Here! Freshly picked! Jenna wanted you to have some."

"Oh," Caroline took the plate with an uncertain smile. "Thanks." She hesitated, "I guess we'll go now..." As she turned to leave, she glanced at Damon and froze. Her hand slowly rose to her neck, and she frowned. Damon stiffened, looking nervous.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked, looking between Caroline and Damon.

"My neck hurts," Caroline said, rubbing it. "Is there anything there?"

"Let me check," Matt said, looking concerned.

Stefan tilted his head, listening. He remembered the conversation he'd had with Damon in the hospital, the last time they had run into Caroline:

"_I'm just wondering if it's wearing off…"  
__"You mean the Compulsion you used on her?"_

"You should go and rest," Elena said quickly, "Maybe your neck still hasn't healed from when you got hurt last week."

"Maybe," Caroline didn't look convinced. "We'll see you guys later."

The minute Elena shut the door, she rounded on Damon. "What was she talking about? Have you been feeding off her again?"

"No!" Damon snapped, looking angry that she had suggested it. "I don't know what happened…It's like my Compulsion is wearing off…"

"Only on Caroline," Stefan said thoughtfully.

"What about that scent you guys smelled?" Tyler asked, "Was it Caroline?"

"No, it was—"

"Bonnie," Stefan said suddenly. He leaned towards her, breathing in deeply. "It smelled like Bonnie…except not."

"Power," Damon agreed, tilting his head.

"So it was a witch?" Elena asked, looking between them.

"But there was a trace of vampire…" Stefan looked frustrated. "It doesn't make any sense."

Elena tapped her foot impatiently, "We don't have time for this. Katherine is at the library _with _Jeremy!" She grabbed her jacket and headed to the door.

Damon appeared in front of her in an instant. "I don't think so," he said firmly, trying to push her back. "I'll go and get him. _You _stay here!"

"He's my brother—!" Elena protested, struggling against Damon's grip.

Stefan touched her arm, "Me and Damon will go, you just stay here."

"Actually," Bonnie interrupted, "You might need _this." _She pulled out a camera from her bag and waved it. "We need a new picture of Katherine for the uninvitation spell, remember?"

Alaric stood up abruptly, giving Bonnie a strange look. Damon looked between them, "What's wrong?"

"When you waved the camera to them…" Alaric muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu."

"You're old, it happens," Damon said dismissively. "Anyway—"

"No," Alaric interrupted, his brow furrowing as he concentrated. "That hand gesture…the movement…it was so familiar…"

"I don't have time for this," Elena said, pushing Damon aside and pulling on the door.

It didn't open.

She frowned, checking that everything was unlocked before pulling again. "I think it's stuck…"

Stefan gently brushed her aside before pulling on the door himself. It didn't budge.

"This is what you get for drinking squirrel blood," Damon chastised, pushing Stefan out of the way. "Vampire strength stems from human blood," he slammed his shoulder against the door, but nothing happened.

"Are you guys serious?" Tyler said, getting up with a frown. "What's wrong with the door?"

"I'm afraid no one is getting out," a cold voice answered. Elena spun around to see Katherine standing on the stairs, fangs out in a twisted smile.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"So you _locked _us in here?" Tyler demanded, watching as Katherine shut all the curtains and turned off all the lights so they were sitting in semi-darkness.

"Not me," Katherine answered, seating herself delicately in the armchair. "My witch performed a little lockdown spell on the house. No one gets in, and no one gets out."

"Jeremy—" Elena began.

"Is _tied up _at the library," Katherine replied dismissively. "Don't worry, I'm not interested in him."

"You kidnapped him before," Elena reminded her with a glare.

"That was simply to get your attention," Katherine replied with a smile. "And it worked, did it not?"

Elena crossed her arms and didn't reply. "Damon, did you enjoy the spell I put on your little human treat?" Katherine asked, licking her lips. "What was her name? Caroline?"

Damon frowned and Katherine raised her eyebrows, "Surely you must have figured out that it takes a powerful spell to override the Compulsion you placed on the girl?"

"You wanted her to remember I was a vampire?" Damon demanded angrily. "Why?"

"So you would be forced to kill her, of course." Katherine cocked her head, "I was hoping Stefan would help…maybe drink some of her blood…"

"It's not going to work," Elena said firmly, "You can't corrupt them…they're not like you, they're different now…"

Katherine laughed, "Is that what you believe, sweetheart?"

Elena watched as Katherine began walking over to her. She was wearing a long, formal black gown. It was clearly expensive, and made out of some velvet material. Her hair hung around her shoulders in elaborate curls, and a small chain decorated her neck. "Nice necklace," Elena commented coldly.

Katherine paused, fingering the necklace with a smile. "Do you like it? It's enchanted, you know…I'm told it masks my scent?"

"Damn," Stefan muttered, glancing at Damon. "That's why we didn't sense her."

"Did you sense anyone else?" Katherine asked, looking curious.

"Your witch, I presume," Damon answered. "Powerful scent."

"Yes," Katherine agreed, "She is quite powerful. Anything unusual?"

"I thought I could smell some vampire mixed in," Stefan said, frowning. "Why?"

"Cassandra, would you like to join us?" Katherine called, a smile playing at her lips.

Everyone turned towards the door, expecting the witch to walk in. However, a second later, a bright light appeared in their midst.

Slowly, a woman's figure began to take shape. Her arms were held out, and her head was thrown back.

Then, just as suddenly, the light disappeared and the woman straightened, radiating power.

Bonnie gasped, "_Grams_?"

"Sheila?" Stefan said in disbelief, standing up. "It can't be…"

The witch smiled, shimmering. Her face changed, became younger. Damon stepped forward, his expression disbelieving. "Emily Bennett?"

"Damon Salvatore," Emily greeted, her voice echoing. "Have you been protecting the Bennett descendants, as per our agreement?"

Damon looked speechless, and Emily laughed. "Show them who else you can be," Katherine urged, her eyes glistening with anticipation.

Emily shimmered again, and this time her hair lengthened, and her features changed slightly.

And Bonnie was staring at herself.

* * *

***depending on how much you like Stefan, you'll either realllyy like OR realllyy hate the next chapter ;) it'll be posted same time tomorrow! be sure to leave a review & let me know what you think :)**


	38. Loyalty

**A/N: **ahh last 3 chapters! this is where it gets exciting ;)

* * *

"My god," Elena breathed. "Bonnie, it's you…"

"Not exactly," Katherine corrected, looking as though she was thoroughly enjoying herself. "Change back, you'll confuse them," she ordered.

The witch curtsied and shimmered again, this time becoming someone they didn't recognize. The resemblance, however, was striking.

"This is Cassandra," Katherine explained. "One of Bonnie's ancestors, as you may have guessed. She is a direct descendant of Emily Bennett."

"And a powerful witch," Cassandra added, her eyes glinting. She turned to Damon, who took a step backwards. "Emily wanted to know if you're honoring the agreement," Cassandra reminded him.

"Bonnie is alive isn't she?" Damon snapped.

"Yes, I see…" Cassandra said disdainfully. "Are you aligning yourself with these traitors, Bonnie?"

"These people are my friends," Bonnie said fiercely. "Looks to me like you're the one who's a traitor!"

"Oh really?"

"You're the one that's been helping Katherine _torture _all of us!" Bonnie shouted, "Isn't blood supposed to be thicker than—"

"Enough," Katherine said coldly. "Emily was my best friend. Her loyalty has been passed on through generations into Cassandra. Her family ties to _you _mean nothing in comparison to the blood ties she shares with me."

Damon frowned. "You mean to say she's a vampire?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Katherine snapped. "But my blood is always in her system, in case she ever does happen to die. Which is next to impossible, of course."

Cassandra grinned and held up her hand. A ring glinted on her finger.

"Hey, that's my ring!" Alaric protested, beginning to stand up. "You have no right—"

"I was perfectly content to use John Gilbert's ring for her," Katherine interrupted. "But I see you're wearing that one now…"

"Only because you stole mine," Alaric retorted.

"Emily is the one who placed the spell on all the rings," Katherine shrugged. "Technically, they all belong to her."

"So let me get this straight," Stefan began, turning to Cassandra. "You're the one that cursed the chains in the basement?"

"Nice trick, wasn't it?"

"And you're the one that cursed my necklace," Elena accused, "You made me dream…" she trailed off.

"Yet you couldn't perform the memory spell on Damon?" Bonnie interrupted. "Why did I have to do that?"

"Silly girl," Katherine answered coolly, "I couldn't let you see Cassandra _that _early. It would have ruined too many of my plans…"

"It was _you," _Alaric said suddenly. "You're the one that took the frequency emitter from my hands in the woods last night."

"How long did it take you to figure that out?" Cassandra grinned. "I thought you might have seen my face."

"No, it was dark," Alaric frowned. "But you waved at me…" he trailed off, and then turned to face Bonnie. "_That's _why it seemed so familiar when you waved that camera at Stefan! The same movements…same gesture…same person." He turned back to Cassandra, "You were disguised as Bonnie last night, weren't you?"

"Very good," Cassandra said approvingly. "I see why you're the teacher."

"And you blocked my protection spell from working on Stefan and Damon!" Bonnie suddenly realized. "I knew I did the spell right!"

"You almost got us all killed," Damon said angrily to Katherine.

"Don't be so dramatic. I knew you'd escape," Katherine replied, unconcerned.

"Wait, something doesn't make sense," Elena said slowly. "How did you know how Bonnie acts?" she asked Cassandra curiously. "To mimic her movements…you must have had to spy on her…"

"Oh, I didn't have time for that," Cassandra dismissed. "One night was all I needed," she smiled, this time at Stefan.

Stefan looked stricken. "No," he whispered.

"Sorry, sweetie," Cassandra replied, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "Should I tell them, or would you like to?"

"What night?" Bonnie demanded, looking between Cassandra and Stefan. Slowly, it dawned on her. "That night that Stefan brought me home from the hospital…I didn't remember getting home. I don't even know how I ended up in my bed." She turned to Damon, "Remember? I told you about it when you drove me home."

"I remember," Damon answered with a frown. "And I asked Stefan about it. He said you invited him in."

"She did," Stefan insisted, almost desperately.

"I don't remember any of it…" Bonnie trailed off.

"I was there," Cassandra offered. "I was in your house, actually."

"How did you get in?" Bonnie demanded.

"I'm not a vampire. I don't need an invitation."

"Wait, what exactly happened?" Elena interrupted, looking between Stefan's guilty expression and Cassandra's satisfied smile.

"Bonnie invited him in," Cassandra began. "But she was tired, and her powers were weak. She didn't realize I was there. When she went into the kitchen to get drinks, I put a spell on her."

"You did _what?"_

"You fell into a deep sleep," Cassandra continued. "Then, I performed a spell to consume all your memories." She smiled, "It only took a minute before I _became _Bonnie." She glanced at Stefan, "But I needed to make sure a close friend of hers would find me believable as Bonnie."

Stefan had his head in his hands. "I should have known," he muttered.

"Your vamp senses were down," Cassandra shrugged, "Don't beat yourself up over it."

"So…what happened?" Tyler asked.

Cassandra grinned and Damon suddenly realized that nothing she was about to say would be good. "It doesn't matter," Damon said loudly, "Moving on—"

"Don't you think Elena _deserves _to know?" Katherine asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Elena, I'm sorry," Stefan said suddenly, looking tortured.

Elena felt cold, and she began shaking. Damon snapped, "That's enough, Katherine!"

Katherine laughed, "Oh come on, she should know what it feels like to have her heart stomped on."

Bonnie's eyes were wide, "Wait, Stefan and I—"

"It wasn't really you," Katherine reassured her. "So, don't worry, _you _haven't betrayed your friendship with Elena. Stefan, on the other hand…"

Elena wrapped her arms around herself, feeling numb. "It was the night I found out how much Damon loved you," Stefan pleaded. "And I saw the way you looked at him after you saw his memories…It hurt, Elena."

"I understand." It was a lie, and everyone in the room knew it. Elena couldn't bring herself to say anything else.

Katherine waited, her hands on her hips. "That's all you have to say?"

Elena considered telling Stefan the truth about her feelings for Damon, but she bit her lip. If she spoke now, it would seem petty…like she was just trying to get back at Stefan, get revenge. "Yes," Elena said finally, not looking at anyone.

"You're weak, Elena," Katherine said coldly. "Even after all this, you still want them both…"

"No, I—"

"I GAVE YOU EVERY REASON TO BREAK UP WITH STEFAN!" Katherine suddenly screamed, looking quite deranged. "And you still can't do it!"

Elena stared back at her doppelganger, wide eyed after her outburst. "I practically _fed _you Damon's love!" Katherine hissed. "I did the memory spell, I showed you how he felt about you, I cursed your necklace to make you dream about him…AND YOU STILL COULDN'T CHOOSE!"

Elena leapt to her feet, completely bewildered, "You _wanted _me to choose Damon?"

"Stefan _drugged _you, Elena! He was jealous and possessive…and he just admitted to betraying you!" Katherine was breathing hard, and she had never looked more insane. "Yet you're still drawn to both of them!"

Cassandra waved her arm and Isobel's disembodied voice filled the room. "_As long as you have a Salvatore on each arm, you are doomed. Katherine was smart. She got out..." _

Alaric looked pained, and Elena shook her head. She couldn't believe this. "Wait—this was your plan all along? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Of course that wasn't my plan, you foolish girl," Katherine seethed. "Surely you can figure it out now?" She glanced at Damon, who was frowning in concentration. "Damon will solve the puzzle soon," she said conspiratorially to Elena. "He's good at that kind of thing."

She flounced over to Tyler, with a smile. "While we're waiting for those humans to figure it out, why don't we talk about you?"

Tyler's expression was stony, "What about me?"

Katherine grinned, and she looked truly devious. "Tell me, Tyler, has anyone told you exactly what happened to your father?"


	39. Return

**A/N: **I hope Stefan wasn't toooo out of character in the last chapter :P I know he's supposed to be perfect and everything, but I figured if he went crazy on the show once, it could happen again lol. also, thank you tons for the reviews anddd there's just too much left in this story to end next chapter so there'll be TWO more chapters left after this :)

* * *

"They've been upstairs for a long time," Elena whispered nervously, glancing behind her to where Cassandra was sitting on the staircase, looking bored. "Are you sure you can't hear anything they're saying?"

"Not a word," Damon muttered.

"Cassandra placed a sort of barrier spell on the room," Bonnie said in an undertone. "Katherine wanted to make sure we couldn't hear what she was telling Tyler."

"On the bright side, she can't hear us either," Alaric pointed out. "The spell would have to work both ways."

"True," Bonnie acknowledged. "So this is our only chance to figure out what's going on..."

"Why would she want Tyler to know that Elena killed his father?" Alaric asked, glancing at Damon. "What could she possibly gain from that?"

"She's banking on Tyler's lack of restraint," Stefan answered moodily. "When he finds out, he'll most likely lose his temper and attack."

Elena swallowed, "You mean he'll attack me? Here? Now?"

"He can try," Damon answered shortly, looking on edge. "He'll be dead before he even gets close."

"No one is going to die!" Bonnie objected, her eyes flashing. "A deal is a deal, Damon. If you spill one drop of innocent blood..."

"Tyler's not an innocent," Damon snapped. "He's a werewolf, in case you haven't noticed—"

"But he hasn't hurt anybody," Bonnie retorted. "You can't use that kind of blatant generalization about werewolves...That's just like saying all vampires are bloodthirsty killers."

"That's what you believe, isn't it?" Damon shot back, his eyes glinting.

Bonnie didn't answer, and kept her face expressionless. "So, should we assume that Katherine's goal is to provoke Tyler into killing Elena?"

"Ah, so we're making progress, I see?" Katherine inquired, appearing behind them.

"Where's Tyler?" Bonnie demanded.

"He went out for a walk," Katherine said casually, seating herself in the armchair. "But don't worry, he'll be back soon."

"How could he go for a walk?" Elena protested. "I thought we were locked in here...?

"You are. Cassandra lifted the spell for a moment so Tyler could take care of some business," Katherine smiled.

"What did you tell him?" Damon growled.

"The truth," Katherine tilted her head. "about silver...and the real reason his father is dead..." Elena drew in her breath sharply and Katherine grinned in her direction, "I've never been attacked by a werewolf, Elena. You'll have to tell me how it is. That is, if you survive..."

"What do you want Katherine?" Stefan demanded angrily. "We're all sick of your twisted games! Just tell us _what you want_."

"I'm here for what's rightfully mine," Katherine responded coldly.

"So you want me and Damon? Is that it?" Stefan snarled, standing up. "Then why go through _all _this trouble? Why try to break up me and Elena? Why try to get her to fall in love with Damon?"

"Oh sweetie," Katherine said with a laugh. "That poor girl was already in love with Damon! All I did was ignite the flame that already burned…"

Elena flushed. She avoided looking at Damon.

"She wanted you and Elena to break up so she could have you willingly," Damon deduced, putting the pieces of the puzzle together in his head. "The best way to do that was to prey on our weaknesses…your insecurity and jealousy would be sure to drive away someone as strong and independent as Elena."

"And then Stefan would be left with no one…except for Katherine," Bonnie continued in Damon's vein of thought. "But why would she want Elena to fall in love with you if she was planning on killing her anyway?"

"Probably to get back at Damon for something," Alaric grumbled. "I told you that Katherine was pissed at you," he reminded Damon.

"Hey, I was the one that spent 145 years looking for her!"

"But then you decided you hated her," Alaric said pointedly.

"Because she wasn't in the tomb," Damon growled, glancing at Katherine.

Katherine shrugged, smiling. She was watching all of them with the air of a proud mother watching her children solve a complicated problem.

"You stopped loving her," Bonnie said slowly. "That could be a reason for her wanting revenge."

"But killing Elena would only make me hate her more," Damon pointed out, glaring at Katherine.

"Only for a while," Cassandra murmured suddenly. "Don't forget, Elena is _only _human."

Elena winced inwardly at the insult, and then looked at Damon. His expression was tortured, and he looked like he was in pain. "So that was your plan?" he asked quietly, sounding neither surprised nor shocked. "You wanted to break my heart again? This time using Elena?"

Katherine looked back at him haughtily. "You were never supposed to move on, Damon. _Especially _not to some girl that _looked _like me! You were already in love with her when I decided to come back to Mystic Falls, so I knew I had to do something." She shrugged, and began pacing back and forth. "I knew you would be happy if Elena realized she loved you back—and for that, Stefan had to be out of the picture." She grinned, and her eyes lit up. "It worked out very nicely, actually."

"You're crazy," Bonnie whispered.

"Once Elena chose Damon, I could have her killed...I knew, of course, that Damon would wallow in self pity for a while. But then he would come back to me." She smiled, and it was the smile of a truly insane person. "I looked like her, after all. He would have no choice except to come back to me."

"Then you would have them both," Bonnie said, her voice taking on an edge. "Just like you wanted."

"I always get what I want," Katherine said determinately. "Of course, I hadn't counted on Elena's weakness. I thought _she _would be able to choose..." she trailed off, turning to Elena. "I guess you're more like me than I thought. No wonder they both chose you to fill my place..."

"I'm not a placeholder," Elena said through gritted teeth, trying to force her voice to stay strong. "And you're a psychotic bitch."

Faster than she could blink, Katherine slapped her across the face. Elena fell backwards against the sofa as Damon sped forward to throw Katherine back. "You. Don't. Touch. Her," Damon snarled, getting right into Katherine's face. "Did you honestly think I'd EVER forgive you for killing Elena? Your plan didn't have a shot in _hell _of working. Get over it!" With that, he shoved her backwards.

Katherine looked stunned, but she recovered quickly. "You didn't seem to feel that way during our little impromptu blast to the past, now did you?"

Damon and Stefan both froze. "Katherine..." Damon said in warning tone.

"Didn't you tell them?" Katherine asked with a nasty smile. She walked over to Bonnie, who met her gaze squarely. "When you little brats tried to get me uninvited from this house, did you ever wonder where Stefan and Damon popped off to when they tried to save my photograph?"

"The past?" Bonnie asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "You went back in time?"

"1864 to be exact," Katherine grinned. "It was a lovely trip down memory lane." She leaned towards Elena, "They both told me how much they loved me..."

"Loved," Damon spat. "Past tense, Katherine. We...I mean, I— _was _in love with you. And if you think, even for a second, that—" he broke off, his head tilted. "What's that sound?"

Katherine raised her eyebrows, "I told you Tyler would be back soon."

"What is it?" Elena demanded, looking between Stefan and Damon, both of whom looked furious.

"Looks like Tyler brought back a bunch of his furry little friends to meet you," Katherine clapped her hands, looking delighted. "Lift the lockdown spell, Cassandra. We wouldn't want them to be stuck outside!"

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Katherine looked around in confusion. "Check who it is," she ordered.

Cassandra waved an arm and the door flew open. A woman stepped into the room.

Katherine's mouth dropped open as everyone stared at the new arrival in varying degrees of shock.

"Isobel."


	40. Finale: Part I

"Hello Katherine," Isobel smiled coldly as she walked more fully into the room. Her gaze lingered briefly on Alaric and Elena, her eyes probing. "Why wasn't I invited to this little party?"

At her words, Elena frowned. "Wait a second, you've never been invited in..."

Isobel lowered her eyes for a moment, looking guilty. "I have," she answered carefully. "Just not by you."

Damon rolled his eyes, "I need to have a talk with Jenna about the kind of riffraff she invites into her home…first Katherine, now you…"

"Isobel, you can't be serious," Katherine said, her voice dripping with incredulity. "You actually came back to Mystic Falls?"

"Who's to say I ever left?" Isobel raised her eyebrows, smiling slightly at Katherine's expression. "What, did you think I would run screaming from your threats?

Katherine's eyes flashed with anger. "You made a mistake coming back here," she warned in a low tone. "Now you'll pay the consequences."

"Isobel has nothing to do with this," Damon said abruptly. "Let her go."

"I'm not keeping her here. She's free to leave," Katherine answered, tilting her head with a smile.

"You heard her," Damon said in an undertone, "Leave. _Now_."

"I'd rather stick around for the show...I see there's a pack of werewolves waiting by the woods—"

"I am your sire," Damon interrupted with a hiss. "You _will _leave!"

Isobel looked taken aback, but she didn't move. "Don't go bringing rank into this, Damon," she said easily. "You have no authority over me."

"But I'm stronger than you," Damon growled, visibly angry. "And I can very easily _make _you leave."

"Oh don't be a spoilsport, Damon," Katherine pouted, her eyes glinting. "You wouldn't rob me of the chance to murder Isobel right in front of her own daughter, would you?"

"Isobel, just go," Elena pleaded, realizing that Katherine was completely serious.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Isobel smiled, looking over at Damon. "You owe me a debt, Damon Salvatore."

"I haven't forgotten," Damon snapped. "But if you don't leave now, then I will be indebted to a dead vampire—"

"Ironic, isn't it?" Isobel replied, looking neither bothered nor worried. "Now, as I was saying, I ran into some werewolves back there...not too friendly, are they?"

"They're here to kill Elena," Katherine said coldly. "On account of her murdering the boy's father."

"Oh, you mean Tyler? Yes, I spoke with him. He makes a terrific leader, doesn't he?"

Everyone frowned, and even Katherine looked confused. "Leader? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, didn't you know? The mayor was the alpha male, so to speak. With his death, Tyler gets to take over the reins."

"Tyler's the leader of the wolf pack?" Bonnie demanded, her voice heavy with suspicion. "That's impossible! He doesn't know the first thing about being a werewolf!"

"Well, I wouldn't say he was _completely _ignorant," Isobel defended Tyler. "I mean, he did learn a lot when he was taken by them..."

"He told you about that?" Stefan asked, surprised. "When?"

"Just a few minutes ago...say, did you know that everyone in that pack is a member of the Lockwood family? It's quite fascinating."

"Well, then they _all _must want revenge on Elena," Katherine said triumphantly. "After all, she murdered a member of their family—"

"Actually, they seemed a bit more interested in the _vampire_ keeping Tyler and his friends hostage..." Isobel trailed off with a smile.

For the first time, Katherine looked slightly worried. "What did you tell them, Isobel?" she hissed angrily.

"Nothing worth repeating," Isobel answered idly. "I would run if I were you, by the way. They're all quite angry."

Katherine's expression flickered. "I have a witch on my side," she said icily. "They don't want to mess with me."

"Oh yes, _your witch," _Isobel casually walked over to Cassandra and held her hand out. "You have something that belongs to me." Cassandra looked confused, and Isobel pointed. "The ring. Hand it over."

"Don't," Katherine commanded. "The ring doesn't belong to Isobel, she has no right to it."

"It belongs to my husband," Isobel countered. "Give it to me."

"Forget about it," Alaric said, his voice pleading. "Just get out of here while you still can."

Isobel sighed, then her eyes narrowed with a smile. "I warned you, Katherine," she said. Suddenly, she blurred and opened the door. And whistled.

There was a moment of silence as everyone wondered when she was doing.

Then, they heard the howls.

And the running of padded feet.

Getting closer.

And closer.

"Do something!" Katherine shrieked in Cassandra's direction.

Cassandra stood up and raised both her arms. There was a blinding light, and Elena felt something jerk her forward.

Then all went black.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Elena? Can you hear me?"

Elena opened her eyes, staring at the trees revolving above her. _Strange. _

A cool hand touched her face, and Elena blinked. The trees stopped circling. She gingerly moved her head to the right, and groaned when she saw who was there.

"Oh good you're awake," Katherine said briskly. "I would've been so upset if you had died before I got the chance to kill you, myself."

Elena coughed, her voice raspy. "Go to hell."

Katherine laughed, amused. "I will," she promised. "But today it's your turn." She moved aside to reveal Cassandra standing there, holding a large sword.

"What...happened?" Elena muttered, trying to sit up.

"Isobel should know better than to outsmart me," Katherine said calmly. "Did she think I was just going to sit there while she called a pack of werewolves to attack?"

"I teleported us out," Cassandra offered, swinging the sword. "They'll never find us now."

"Where are we?" Elena demanded, trying to ignore the growing feeling of dread.

"Not in Mystic Falls," Katherine answered, her eyes glinting.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Katherine smiled, and gently brushed Elena's hair out of her face. She leaned in and whispered, "So I can leave your lifeless body to rot in a place where _no one _will ever find it..."

Elena swallowed, feeling the fear bubble up in her throat. _Think of something, anything!_ she thought desperately. She shakily stood up, and backed up against a tree to distance herself from Katherine. "Killing me won't change anything," she said firmly. "Damon will never forgive you—"

"You don't know him like I do," Katherine replied, unconcerned. "Damon is special, Elena. He'll _never _forget me." She straightened, "Just like I never forgot about him."

"You left him!" Elena shouted. "He spent _years _looking for you...and—and you didn't care!"

"Don't speak about things you don't understand," Katherine snapped. "My connection with Damon is stronger than you'll ever know—" she broke off when a sudden blinding light appeared in their midst.

"I didn't know you still cared," a voice said sarcastically.

"Damon!" Elena's mouth dropped open as Damon stepped out from the light. As he did, it faded away behind him. "What—_How _did you get here?"

"Bonnie sends her best wishes," Damon answered lightly, slowly circling around Katherine. "But she could only send one person to follow you."

"Follow?" Cassandra asked, looking confused. "There's no way..."

"She said you left a trail of magic," Damon shrugged. "Don't ask me, I don't understand a thing about it..."

"So she sent _you_?" Katherine laughed. "Well, I see why. Stefan would be too weak...and Bonnie doesn't have a shot in hell against Cassandra..."

"I would have volunteered to come," Damon answered, glancing briefly at Elena. "But I am here on account of Isobel. She sent me here to settle a debt."

Katherine paused, looking interested. "Isobel sent you here to fight for Elena?"

Damon hesitated, "No. Not to fight for her..."

"Then what?" Katherine demanded, and Elena felt fear rush through her veins when she saw Damon's expression.

"I'm here to take her place."

* * *

***lol don't freak out yet :p **

**p.s. get ready for the last chapter, coming up same time tomorrow!**


	41. Finale: Part II

**A/N: **Sorry it's a little late, but I wanted it to be perfect! Hopefully it's as epic as you hoped it would be ;)

* * *

Damon and Elena stood side by side, their arms crossed. Damon looked faintly amused while Elena looked furious.

"So, how long do you think before she stops laughing?" Damon whispered.

Elena pursed her lips as she stared at Katherine, who was doubled up in fits of laughter. "Never," Elena decided, "Seeing as how your last statement was incredibly _absurd _and completely ridiculous—"

"Hey, hey is that any way to speak to the vampire who's here to save your life?" Damon grinned. Elena merely glared at him, and Damon relented, "Look, you don't have to like it, but that's the plan."

"Oh yeah?" Elena challenged. "And exactly whose plan was it?"

"It was an unanimous decision."

"Well, I refuse to go along with it," Elena said stubbornly, her chin jutting out in defiance. "You're not trading your life for mine."

"Your life is more valuable," Damon answered shortly, "This isn't up for discussion, Elena."

Elena felt a flash of anger and she grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. "I'm _not _a damsel in distress, Damon! My life is _not _more valuable than yours!" She dug her nails into his arm, even though she knew he probably couldn't feel it. "_Don't _do anything stupid," she added in a hiss, noticing that Katherine's laughter had died down. Damon didn't move, and Elena slowly released his arm from her grip.

Katherine walked back over to them, her eyes still sparkling with amusement. "Sorry, Damon," she grinned, "But you can't honestly think that I'd kill _you_ instead of the girl? That would be completely useless to me." She paused, "And you know I never do something unless there's some sort of benefit in it…"

"I remember," Damon agreed. "But I think you'll agree to my terms on this particular matter, Katherine."

"Oh really? And why's that?"

Damon smiled and reached into his jacket, pulling out a stake. "Because of this."

Katherine looked bored, "You're going to try to stake me? You know I'm stronger than you. It'll never work."

"I know," Damon said cheerfully. "I meant that I would stake myself."

Elena gasped in horror, and there was a clatter as Cassandra dropped the sword she was holding.

"Don't be an idiot," Katherine hissed. "You don't want to kill yourself over some…_worthless human_."

"That's where you're wrong," Damon tilted his head. "Elena's life means too much to just be thrown away by the likes of _you." _

Katherine's jaw clenched, her eyes flashing with fury. Elena grabbed Damon's arm again, her expression identical to Katherine's. "I thought I told you _not to do anything stupid!" _Elena said in a harsh whisper.

Damon shrugged, not looking worried. "It is what it is, Elena."

"You claim to love her," Katherine said suddenly. "It will all have been for nothing if you die…"

"Call me your modern day Romeo," Damon grinned. He turned to Elena, "How do you feel about being Juliet?"

"Quit joking around!" Elena snapped, her nerves on edge. "Romeo and Juliet both died, in case you've forgotten!"

"But their love was timeless," Damon pointed out, smirking at the expression on Elena's face.

Katherine was silent for a few moments before her expression cleared. She looked Damon directly in the eye, "Okay."

"Okay?" Elena protested wildly. "What do you mean 'okay'?"

"I agree to your terms, Damon," Katherine replied, ignoring Elena's sputterings. "On one condition."

"And what's that?" Damon asked, looking pleased that his deal had been accepted so quickly.

"I will let you take Elena's place," Katherine said slowly, "And Elena will be free to go back home, unharmed..."

"If...?" Damon prompted.

Katherine smiled pleasantly, "_If _Elena is the one to kill you."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''

Elena looked down at the stake in her hand, and then up at Damon. She glanced over his shoulder to where Katherine and Cassandra were standing, some distance away. Katherine's eyes were narrowed, as though she believed that Damon had some ulterior plan in motion. Cassandra simply looked baffled.

"Go ahead, Elena," Damon said loudly, "Let's get this over with."

Elena gritted her teeth, "So this is what it's come down to? After everything we've been through?"

Damon's expression flickered. "Just picture me as the killer I am, Elena. It shouldn't be too hard."

"But there's so much that I haven't..." Elena trailed off.

"Look on the bright side," Damon suggested. "Now you don't have to choose."

"What?"

"Between me and Stefan," Damon clarified, with a hint of a smirk on his face.

Elena blinked, "What makes you think I haven't chosen yet?"

Damon frowned, "You already—? He broke off with a sharp intake of breath as Elena dropped the stake she was holding and grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulling him into her body. "Elena, what are you doing?" he murmured, staring into her face. She was inches away, and he could see the unshed tears sparkling in her eyes.

"Making a choice," Elena whispered, her hands moving to his face as she brought her lips to his. Damon heard Katherine muttering behind him, but at this very moment, nothing else mattered except the girl in front of him. He pulled Elena tightly against him, feeling her pulse beat frantically against his own chest, until it felt like he had a heartbeat of his own.

After what felt like ages, he pulled away to let her breathe. She rested her forehead against his before sliding her arms around him in a tight embrace. Damon turned them around so he was facing Katherine. She was tapping her foot impatiently, but he could see through bored expression. She was angry. "Are you two _done _yet? I don't have all day."

Damon placed a soft kiss on Elena's forehead before gently pushing her away. He bent down to pick up the stake that she had dropped and handed it to her. "Yeah, we're done," he said quietly.

Elena wrapped her hand around the stake, frowning. Damon still thought she was actually going to kill him. Apparently, he was just as insane as Katherine. She looked up to tell Katherine that this plan just wasn't going to work, when suddenly Cassandra screamed.

Elena dropped the stake in fright, as Cassandra fell to the floor, writhing. "NO! STOP IT!" she shrieked, clutching her head.

"What is it!" Katherine exclaimed, backing away from her witch in shock. "What's going on?"

"She's—_using—" _Cassandra gasped out, unable to form coherent sentences.

"_She_?" Elena whispered to Damon, who had an arm around her wrist to hold her back. "What's she talking about?"

All of a sudden, a burst of light emitted from Cassandra's fingertips. Elena squinted, trying to see what was happening. A figure crawled out of the blazing white light, emitting sparks along the way. The light faded and Elena lowered her hand to see who it was.

Bonnie.

"Oh good," Bonnie said with obvious relief. "You're still alive. I thought I might be too late."

"What are you doing here?" Damon demanded. "Katherine already agreed to my deal—"

Bonnie looked back at him, her expression a mixture of respect and incredulity. "You didn't honestly think we'd..._sacrifice _you to Katherine, did you?"

Damon looked confused, "I thought..."

"I just needed time to figure out the right spell," Bonnie interrupted, looking down at Cassandra with disdain. "It's something Katherine said, actually..." She turned to Katherine, who was looking at Bonnie in disbelief. "You said something about family ties and blood ties...and I thought, well, if Cassandra is _tied _to me then that means I could _tie _my magic to hers, too."

Cassandra groaned, digging her nails into the ground as she struggled to sit up. "You _used _my magic," she said accusingly.

"You're the one that kept bragging about how powerful you were," Bonnie said dismissively. "Next time maybe you'll keep that information to yourself." Bonnie's eyes flashed gold for a second, and Cassandra immediately fell over. Bonnie smiled in satisfaction, "She'll be out for a while." She strode over to Cassandra and twisted the ring off her finger. Bonnie examined it before tossing it to Elena. "So, you guys ready to get out of here?"

"Wait a second!" Katherine shrieked. "You can't just—"

Bonnie's eyes widened for a split second and Katherine was thrown off her feet. Bonnie smiled, the wind lifting her hair eerily. "Actually, with Cassandra's powers, I _can." _

Katherine vamped out, her eyes turning red in fury. She blurred, rushing towards Elena. Damon immediately moved to intercept her, but Katherine tossed him aside. Damon went flying into Bonnie and they both fell over. "You little bitch," Katherine hissed, her hands closing over Elena's throat. "I'm going to—" suddenly, Katherine's voice broke off with a gasp.

She looked down to see Elena's hand wrapped firmly around a stake. Embedded in her heart. "Sorry," Elena said, meeting Katherine's gaze defiantly. "Guess I staked the wrong person."

Katherine's mouth moved wordlessly as she fell to the ground.

She didn't move again.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Bonnie!" Tyler said in relief, jumping up as the trio appeared back in the Gilbert living room. "You're alright!"

"I'm okay," Bonnie said weakly, stumbling slightly.

Tyler caught her in his arms, and hugged her tightly. "I was worried about you..."

Stefan stepped forward, looking between Elena and Damon questioningly. "She's dead," Elena said, watching Stefan closely. "I staked her."

Stefan nodded, closing his eyes. To everyone's surprise, he hugged Damon first. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For keeping Elena safe."

Damon was surprised, but he didn't show it. Instead, he nodded and clasped his brother's arm in return. He then watched as Stefan turned to hug Elena. She returned the embrace, and Stefan leaned back slightly, searching her eyes for an answer to the unspoken question. He smiled sadly at what he saw in her gaze, and gave her arm one last squeeze before turning away. "I'm glad you're both alright," he said finally. And then he respectfully backed away. Breaking the proverbial triangle.

"Where's Isobel?" Elena asked suddenly, noticing that her birth mother was missing.

'She left," Alaric answered tiredly.

"Didn't she want to see if Elena was okay?" Bonnie demanded.

"She said she trusted Damon," Alaric replied, his expression unreadable.

Damon was silent for a second, before he reached into his pocket and tossed something to Alaric. "Your ring. Bonnie got it off Cassandra."

Alaric caught the ring gratefully. He took off John Gilbert's ring before sliding his own ring back on. Alaric then tossed the ring to Elena, who caught it in surprise. "This is a Gilbert ring," Alaric explained. "Jeremy should have it."

Elena smiled, "I'll be sure to give it to him."

"I'll go get him from the library," Stefan offered, getting up.

"I'll go with you," Alaric said, grabbing his coat. "I think Jenna is in town, anyway."

"Yeah, I should get Bonnie home," Tyler said, and they both stood up, with Bonnie leaning heavily against him.

"Bonnie, you're a lifesaver," Elena said, hugging her best friend quickly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." As she passed Damon, she grinned up at him. "Don't worry, we're still even."

Damon shook his head with a smile as everyone trudged out the door. Stefan was the last to leave, and he nodded to them before shutting the door quietly.

Elena faced Damon silently for a few seconds. "Yes?" Damon prompted.

"You almost died for me," Elena said accusingly, smacking his arm. "Why would you do something _so stupid?" _

Damon grinned, his lips curving upwards in his signature smirk. "What can I say, a vampire in love can do some stupid things sometimes..."

Elena rolled her eyes, but she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "And a girl in love can do _this," _she murmured, smiling as their lips met in a kiss.

* * *

**THE END :)**

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***thank you to everyone who read/reviewed this story! I'm so happy with the way it turned out, and I'm sad to see it end...But, we're all a little bit closer to the season 2 premiere of Vampire Diaries! I don't know if there'll be a sequel to this or not, but I am definitely interested in writing more Vampire Diaires fanfics at some point in the future :) Oh and feel free to message me any questions or ideas or about anything really, I'll get back to you when I have time! Thanks again!


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